To link to the entire object, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed the entire object, paste this HTML in websiteTo link to this page, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed this page, paste this HTML in website

808934.pdf
[59.93 MB]
Link will provide options to open or save document.

File Format:

Adobe Reader

2014-2015
PRESIDENT’S REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY
V ISION THE
VANCE-G RANVILLE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
L IVING
During the past year, Vance-Granville Community College celebrated 45 years of service to students and our region. We were inspired not only by how much this institution has grown and developed over the years, but also by the good news happening all around us in the present. With a sense of excitement and hope for the future, Vance-Granville launched the “Vanguard Vision” strategic plan in early 2014. That meant that 2014-2015 was the first full year in which our faculty, staff and students set out to “live” that vision every day. The early results of the implementation of the Vanguard Vision have been extremely promising.
We have seized new opportunities to educate, inspire and support our diverse community of learners. We have earned recognition at the state and national levels. And we have continued a remarkable streak of success in securing new resources, in the form of grants and community support, including some of the largest gifts from individuals in VGCC history and another record-breaking Golf Tournament.
Most importantly, we capped off a banner year with the largest graduating class in the history of our college. Preparing those graduates to achieve professional and personal success is at the heart of our mission. As Vanguards for life, our alumni make invaluable contributions in our communities and truly represent the realization of the Vanguard Vision. Because of their achievements, along with the excellence consistently demonstrated by our faculty, staff and partners, I am proud to present this report of the outstanding 2014-2015 year at VGCC.
A MESSAGE
TO THE COMMUNITY
FROM THE PRESIDENT
DR. STELFANIE WILLIAMS
President
Vance-Granville Community College
L IVING
V ISION
THEBoard
of Trustees
2014-2015
Deborah F. Brown
Chair
Stanley H. Fox
Vice Chair
Michele Eaves Burgess
Dwight Frazier
L. Opie Frazier, Jr.
Barbara Cates Harris
N. Annette P. Myers
Abdul Sm Rasheed
Donald C. Seifert, Sr.
Sara C. Wester
Dr. Doris Terry Williams
Danny W. Wright
Bertadean W. Baker
Warren County Liaison
John K. Nelms
Trustee Emeritus
Theresa Chiplis
Student Government Association
President
Vance-Granville Community College was recognized in 2015 by BestColleges.com as one of the top five two-year colleges in North Carolina, and for offering one of the most affordable online associate degree programs in the country.
VGCC came in fifth on the new list, in which BestColleges.com ranked the top 25 two-year and top 25 four-year schools in North Carolina. BestColleges.com also reviewed over 500 schools across the United States that offer associate degree programs online for their affordability, and VGCC was ranked at number 11.
“Our higher education experts reviewed nearly 90 two-year schools in the Tarheel State, and after taking into account key performance indicators such as retention, graduation and loan default rates, Vance-Granville Community College quickly rose to the top,” said Diana Walters, associate director of communications for BestColleges.com.
Factors such as tuition, loan origination, loan default rates and flexibility helped VGCC earn the ranking of 11th in the nation for online associate degree programs, representatives of
BestColleges.com added.
A Message from our Board Chair
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to celebrate another incredibly successful year at Vance-Granville Community College! Under the leadership of Dr. Williams, our college has been infused with the new energy and focus of the Vanguard Vision. This strategic plan is not simply a set of inspirational words. Rather, its goals and values serve to guide everything this fine institution does. The Vanguard Vision comes to life each day in the excellent work of our administration, faculty, staff and students.
Our communities have embraced this vision and are helping to make it a reality. We are so grateful for the support of citizens, businesses and other partners in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties who recognize the importance of the education and training provided by VGCC. The Vanguard Vision emphasizes community partnerships and the college’s leadership role in economic development. We invite your participation as we work together to promote the success of our students and our region as a whole.
VGCC tops among colleges in NC, USA
Deborah Brown
VGCC Board of Trustees ChairL EGACY
G IVING
OF
LELIA BRIGHAM
Vance-Granville Community College has enjoyed its most successful year in fundraising and grants, with more than $2.2 million in contributions and nearly $1.3 million in grant funding.
“We are so grateful to the community we serve for this incredible generosity,” said VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams. “These individuals, organizations and businesses that have given to the college have demonstrated their passion for helping our students achieve success.”
Many of the financial successes realized in the 2014-2015 academic year are the result of strategies identified in the college’s five-year Vanguard Vision master plan, said Dr. Williams.
“As one of the goals of our Vanguard Vision, a strategic plan adopted for 2014-2019, the staff and faculty of Vance-Granville have focused on institutional stewardship,” said Dr. Williams.
“We identified the need for showing good stewardship by securing and sustaining our resources. Our employees have responded by securing new and innovative resources as evidenced by the grants and many of the new donations we’ve received.”
Of the $636,845 received by the college’s Endowment Fund in 2014-2015, $465,686 was for new scholarships that have already been fully funded, $100,318 from donors participating in the annual golf tournament, $50,866 in additional gifts to existing funded scholarships, $12,405 to named scholarships not yet fully funded, and $7,570 to future scholarships.
Two major gifts announced during the 2014-2015 academic year came from the estates of a decorated World War II fighter pilot and a long-time continuing education art instructor.
In January, Dr. Williams announced a $1.6 million bequest to the college from the estate of Wilbert Allen “Bill” Edwards. A Vance County native who moved to Granville County, Edwards died in October 2001, and his wife died in August 2013. News of the donation to the college came with the settling of the estate. Edwards’ gift is the second largest in the history of the college.
WILBERT & FANNIE EDWARDSIn the photo above, VGCC’s President Dr. Stelfanie Williams announces a fund-raising record $100,318 for the 31st annual Endowment Fund Golf Tournament, presented by Oxford-based Union Bank, as she is assisted by Endowment Fund specialist Kay Currin, left, and director Eddie Ferguson, right. At right, Dr. Williams and Ferguson are joined by Thomas M. Combs, president and chief executive officer of Union Bank, at the announcement of the bank as the tournament’s first-ever presenting sponsor.
Supporting students to achieve professional and personal success
In May, the announcement followed of $400,000 left to the Endowment Fund by the estate of Lelia Brigham, with additional assets pending.
A continuing education instructor since the earliest days of the college, in the fall of 1969, Brigham had an association with Vance-Granville as an instructor longer than anyone else. She died in December 2014.
In addition to the funds from her estate, Brigham had been responsible for endowing six Academic Achievement Scholarships since December 2001.
The college’s popular golf tournament skyrocketed to new levels of financial support in May 2015. With the first-ever corporate presenting sponsor, the 31st annual Endowment Fund Golf Tournament, presented by Oxford-based Union Bank, generated $100,318 to help fund scholarships for deserving students and to support the mission of the college. The amount was nearly double the previous year’s record of $51,000.
“Our Endowment Fund director, Eddie Ferguson, and endowment specialist, Kay Currin, are commended for their efforts, along with the work of our Endowment Fund Board of Directors,” said Dr. Williams.
“What is most pleasing is the support from such a variety of donors, some of them long-time contributors and new friends who wanted to help our students. These supporters understand the impact of the college on the success of this region we serve.”
Six new scholarships were fully endowed, four additional scholarships were started, and two previously-established scholarships became fully endowed during the year. (See Pages 36-37 for more details.)
Among other fund-raising efforts, an annual campaign is held each fall for Vance-Granville employees. VGCC’s faculty and staff contributed $21,441 to the Endowment Fund in 2014.
“Our mission is to educate, inspire and support a diverse community of learners,” Dr. Williams said. “With the incredible support of a caring community joining us in this effort, we are positioning our students to achieve the professional and personal success they need to attain a greater quality of life.”
5VGCC benefits from 2nd year of success in grant funding
A second year of significant grant funding has positioned Vance-Granville Community College to take its focus on training the workforce to a higher level.
The following four grants were the largest awarded for the year:
An Education & Workforce Innovation Grant of $800,000 was awarded by the North Carolina Education and Workforce Innovation Commission to support the Manufacturing Skills Training Alliance.
The workforce training partnership involves VGCC and the Career and Technical Education high school programs from Vance County Schools, Granville County Schools, Franklin County Schools and Warren County Schools.
Duke Energy awarded the college a grant of $237,757 to continue equipping the college’s Advanced Manufacturing Skills Center with state-of-the-art, industrial-grade training equipment.
An NCWorks Job-Driven Initiative Grant awarded to VGCC in partnership with the Kerr-Tar Workforce Development Board totaled $147,000. VGCC is one of 12 community colleges across the state selected to provide training services to dislocated workers.
The NCWorks Career Pathways Grant of $70,000 was awarded to VGCC to plan and implement work-based learning opportunities.
Five other smaller grants combined to bring the college $1,292,197 in grant funding for the academic year. Combined with $2,643,722 in 2013-2014, grants for the college over the past year totaled nearly $4 million.
“I applaud our outstanding faculty and staff, who have played leading roles in seeking out these grants and helping to obtain new funding,” said Vance-Granville President Dr. Williams.
“They give of their own resources through our on-campus drive and the golf tournament, but they work hard also to secure these innovative resources.”
The Granville County Chamber of Commerce held a ceremonial ribbon-cutting and open house to celebrate the new Mechatronics lab on VGCC’s South Campus.
Mechatronics
showcases community partnerships
6In the photograph at left, VGCC Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson, Director of Customized Training Sara Lloyd, Applied Technologies department chair Wesley Williams and President Dr. Stelfanie Williams accept a symbolic check for $237,757 representing a new grant from Duke Energy District Manager Tanya Evans, equipping VGCC’s Advanced Manufacturing Skills Center with state-of-the-art, industrial-grade training equipment. Above, VGCC Mechatronics Engineering Technology program head Keith Shearon, right, and Roger Giddens, a consultant from Moultrie Technical College in Georgia, examine the specifications on new equipment in VGCC’s Mechatronics Lab. The Fanuc robot (featuring a bright yellow arm) and SMC electro-pneumatic manufacturing training system are used by students to troubleshoot automation system problems.
Improving our world through stewardship
Area residents and community leaders took a closer look at the new Mechatronics Engineering Technology program, which provides training for jobs in advanced manufacturing.
The event was the highlight of the Chamber’s “Sunrise Forum” meeting, held Nov. 14, in partnership with VGCC and the Granville County Schools Career and Technical Education Advisory Council.
“Today’s event represents community partnerships,” Dr. Stelfanie Williams, VGCC’s president, said. “We are delighted to work together with the Chamber, elected officials, public schools, economic development agencies and local businesses to prepare our students for careers and to grow our economy.”
Keith Shearon, Mechatronics Engineering Technology program head, said his curriculum “blends the traditionally separate fields of mechanical, computer and electronic engineering to train a ‘super-technician’ who has skills in many different facets of manufacturing.”
He detailed the college’s two-year degree program and the certificate programs that are in development. Shearon also encouraged local employers to provide VGCC with feedback to make sure that the college’s education and training programs meet their needs for skilled employees.L
G RADUATES
OF
ARGEST
C
LASS
Criminal Justice grad comes home to offer encouragement
Vance-Granville Community College’s 46th commencement exercises on May 15, 2015, made history in more ways than one.
Most notably, the Class of 2015 was the largest in the history of VGCC, with approximately 550 graduates receiving degrees and diplomas. The record-breaking size of the graduating class corresponded with an equally huge throng of family members, friends and other guests in attendance to watch the ceremony, held at the gazebo by the lake on the college’s Main Campus.
Also making history was the commencement speaker. Dr. Maurice Godwin of Fayetteville, shown at left, a VGCC Criminal Justice graduate from the Class of 1985, became the first alumnus of the college to return to address graduates of curriculum programs.
“I am one of you,” Godwin said to the class. “As a graduate of VGCC, I am thrilled to come home and speak to all of these successful graduates.” His alma mater “is and will always be home to me,” he added. “There’s no doubt about it that I am standing here today because of the people at Vance-Granville, and because of the community atmosphere here.”
Godwin recalled that the small classes and personal assistance he received from instructors at VGCC allowed him to succeed. “I would have been lost if I had gone first to a four-year school, and I don’t know that I would have made it,” he said. “VGCC completely changed my life. The late Thomas Long, formerly the department head of Criminal Justice for 20 years, not only changed my life but was like a father figure to me.”
After Godwin graduated with a two-year degree from VGCC, he earned his bachelor’s degree at Trevecca Nazarene University, a master’s degree in Criminology at Indiana State University, and a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Liverpool. Today, as president of Godwin Trial & Forensic Consultancy, Inc., he consults on crime scene assessment, developing psychological and geographical profiles. He is also an author and professor.
Basic Skills graduate
accomplishes goals
‘despite mountain’
As Vance-Granville’s Adult Basic Skills students gathered for annual graduation exercises in early May 2015, Heather Clopton of Henderson recalled hearing about Basic Skills Plus at VGCC, which was new at the time and would allow her to take High School Equivalency classes at the same time as the Nurse Aide I program.
“I have always wanted to study nursing, so this was a perfect opportunity,” she said. Heather’s mother supported her efforts.
“Two days after I started the CNA class, my mother had a heart attack,” Heather said. “She passed away the next day.”
“I knew that all I wanted to do from then on was to make her proud of me. Going to school and becoming a nurse was what she wanted for me, because she knew that’s what I wanted.”
Heather found it difficult to continue her studies while taking on new responsibilities around the house, including helping care for her younger siblings. She was able to switch to taking HSE preparatory classes online through VGCC, making her schedule more manageable. She went on to complete both programs.
“When I finished, I knew then how proud I had made everyone, but also knew that if I could accomplish this, anyone can,” Heather said. “Nothing feels better than knowing you have accomplished one of your goals despite the mountain you had to climb to get there.”
Heather has gone on to enroll in curriculum classes at VGCC with a goal of becoming a pediatric nurse.VGCC alumnus urges grads
to become great leaders
Wellington R. Scott, Sr., of Raleigh, a retired lieutenant colonel and deputy commander of the North Carolina Highway Patrol, was the principal commencement speaker as VGCC held commencement exercises honoring graduates of the college’s Adult Basic Skills programs in May 2015.
Scott was a College Transfer student at VGCC in the early 1980s and even met his future wife in one of his classes.
“This school set the tone for my professional career,” Scott said. “I had great instructors who made me want to learn. They believed in my abilities, they influenced me and allowed me to develop in ways that gave me an opportunity to be very productive in my professional life.”
To the graduates, he offered lessons on leadership. “All of you have the power to be great influencers and leaders,” he said. “You have the potential to lead within the scope of your responsibility or influence. You can make a difference in the world in which you live.”
State Bar recognition
The Paralegal Technology program at Vance-Granville has been designated as a “Qualified Paralegal Studies Program” by the North Carolina State Bar.
The State Bar’s Board of Paralegal Certification approved the VGCC program for this recognition at a meeting in February 2015, but the status is considered to be retroactively effective from December 2014. The qualification lasts for five years.
The State Bar is the agency responsible for regulating the practice of law, including the proper utilization of paralegals, throughout North Carolina.
“This designation will help our graduates achieve personal and professional success,” said Antoinette C. Dickens, the Paralegal Technology program head/instructor for VGCC.
National accreditation
for Human Services Tech
VGCC’s Human Services Technology program was awarded accreditation by the Council for Standards in Human Service Education for the first time.
At its May 2015 meeting, the CSHSE governing board voted to accredit the program for an initial period of five years.
VGCC’s associate degree program becomes only the third in North Carolina to be accredited by the organization
From left, VGCC South Campus Dean Cecilia Wheeler, HST program head Tracy Wallace and Dean of Health Sciences Angela Thomas celebrate the achievement.
Megan N. Finch of Louisburg, center, a May 2015 graduate of the Paralegal Technology program at VGCC, co-authored a “Practitioner’s Handbook for Civil Superior Court,” the first of its kind in the state. The lead author on the document was Ella S. Wrenn, right, Trial Court coordinator for the Ninth Judicial District, the supervisor for Finch’s internship through the college’s Work-Based Learning program under Program Head Antoinette C. Dickens, left.
100
CLASSES
Sixteen cadets graduated on May 12 from the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program at VGCC. After passing the state certification exam, all are authorized to work in any law enforcement agency in North Carolina. It was the 100th class of graduates trained by Vance-Granville.
VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams thanked the many representatives of local and state law enforcement agencies in attendance for partnering with the college.
“Without your sponsorship of students, providing instructors to teach courses, helping us to continually develop the curriculum, and through the countless other ways that you show your commitment, this program would not be possible,” the president said.
She congratulated the cadets on their achievements: “Protect and serve in a way that reflects your personal integrity, the integrity of this fine college and the integrity of the profession of law enforcement.”
In addition to the traditional awards and recognitions for graduates, the 100th milestone also featured a slide show featuring photos of previous classes during a reception following the ceremony.
These men and women pictured above comprise the 100th graduating class of Vance-Granville Community College’s Basic Law Enforcement Training program.The BLET program reached the milestone in May 2015 with a ceremony in the college’s Civic Center. Retired Henderson Police Chief Melvin G. Smith, shown at left in the photo below, was honored for 40 years of dedicated service as a VGCC law enforcement training instructor, including several
years as the program’s coordinator. Presenting the honor was Andrea Ferguson, VGCC’s coordinator of law enforcement training.
Milestone celebrates dedication to public service
Educating learners to achieve personal and professional success
11VGCC, A&T sign nursing initiative
Vance-Granville Community College has stepped up its efforts to help nursing students earn bachelor’s degrees through an initiative with North Carolina A&T State University and two other community colleges.
On Monday, June 1, 2015, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, VGCC’s president, joined the chancellor of A&T and the presidents of Guilford Technical and Davidson County community colleges at a ceremony in Greensboro to launch the North Carolina Piedmont “Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses” (RIBN) initiative.
Beginning with the fall 2016 semester, new nursing students will be able to apply simultaneously to both A&T and to VGCC, or to one of the other community colleges. Up to 30 students a year will be admitted into the co-admission/continual enrollment program.
“Vance-Granville is very pleased to be a part of this RIBN partnership,” said Dr. Williams, as the college representatives participated in the signing ceremony, held in A&T’s Alumni Event Center. “This is another great example of our community colleges and universities working together, and we are very proud to partner with North Carolina A&T State University on such a great collaborative opportunity for our future nurses.”
“We all win with this initiative,” Dr. Harold L. Martin, the chancellor of A&T, said.
The initiative is one of nine such partnerships that have been launched in North Carolina since 2008 under the direction of the Foundation for Nursing Excellence to increase the educational preparation of North Carolina’s nursing workforce.
VGCC and Chamberlain College of Nursing formed a partnership in July 2014 that will help graduates of VGCC’s Associate Degree Nursing program transition to complete a bachelor’s degree in Nursing through distance education. June Dunham, a healthcare development specialist from Chamberlain, visited VGCC’s Main Campus earlier in the year to inform students about the new partnership. Through Chamberlain’s “RN to BSN” degree option, a Registered Nurse who graduated from VGCC will be able to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) online within as few as three semesters.
12Vance-Granville chosen to share Best Practices
for student success at statewide summit
Closer alignment between the needs of employers and the training offered at community colleges was the topic of a meeting hosted by Vance-Granville.
Presidents and other officials from Durham Technical Community College and Piedmont Community College joined their VGCC colleagues, along with business, industry and economic development leaders, in August 2014 at a regional “Align4NCWorks” Learning Summit in the VGCC Civic Center.
Approximately 75 people attended, among them N.C. Rep. W. A. “Winkie” Wilkins of Roxboro and two members of the State Board of Community Colleges, Sam Powell and James Woody.
The event was the twelfth of 22 planned summits that the N.C. Community College System organized across the state in 2014. Each one involved several of the 58 North Carolina community colleges and local workforce partners discussing collaborative workforce development projects. “Align4NCWorks” is the name for the community college system’s current strategic planning initiative.
Dr. Scott Ralls, the president of the system, noted that workforce development is “not new for North Carolina community colleges; in fact, that is how we started.” The community colleges are designated by state law as “the primary lead agency for delivering workforce development training.” The purpose of the summit, Ralls said, was “to learn from great innovations and partnerships” at the local level, and to learn about challenges and barriers that need to be overcome.
VGCC hosts regional
summit on workforce
development
Educating a diverse community of learners
Officials from VGCC offered tips to their colleagues from across the state at the inaugural N.C. Community Colleges Performance Partnership Summit, held at the Embassy Suites in Cary in July 2015. The college was asked to present after being recognized as a leader in preparing students to succeed on certification tests.
The North Carolina Community College System named Vance-Granville a “mentor college” when it comes to best practices in passing rates on various licensure exams that the state requires students to take prior to entering their profession.
N.C. Community College System President Dr. Scott Ralls, left, listens as VGCC Endowment director Eddie Ferguson answers a question during the Align4NCWorks Summit in the Civic Center.Vance-Granville Community College named student Geoffrey Arnott of Oxford as its recipient of the North Carolina Community College System’s Academic Excellence Award for 2015.
One student from each of the 58 colleges in the state system is honored with the award each year. Arnott was recognized at Commencement in May, when he also graduated with an Associate in Science degree.
Arnott transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall of 2015.
He was home-schooled by his parents through high school. “I was given an excellent education by my parents, but I had never attended a class with more than a few students,” he recalled. “I had no idea what to expect from college.”
He was “both thrilled and terrified” by the possibilities and challenges that would await him in the future. As Arnott entered his sophomore year of high school, he registered for a single class at VGCC to see what college would be like. “I held my breath and was captivated,” Arnott said. “That class challenged me, but at the same time motivated me to offer my best work.
“Every class I have taken at VGCC since has had the same ability to stimulate me and make me grow in ways I never anticipated.”
Arnott enrolled full-time at VGCC after high school and continued to excel. He was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, served as a tutor through the Academic Skills Center and made the Dean’s List. During the 2014-2015 year, he also served as a VGCC ambassador.
“Each of these opportunities has given me the skills and tools I will need as a leader, but more importantly, they have taught me to treasure and honor the community with which I am blessed,” Arnott said. “That is a lesson I plan to carry with me always.”
After graduating from VGCC, Arnott planned to transfer to a four-year university to study public health and minor in sociology.
Arnott worked at Oxford Veterinary Hospital throughout his time as a student. He was also an assistant instructor at the former Cornerstone Martial Arts School until 2014.
“Geoffrey has been an outstanding student and leader on campus, and we are proud to recognize him among the top students in North Carolina,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC.
“He is an excellent representative of Vance-Granville, and with the education, inspiration and support he has received here, we know he’s on his way to success at the university level and in his future career.”
R EGOGNIZING
E
XCELLENCE
“Each of these opportunities has given me the skills and tools I will need as a leader, but more importantly, they have taught me to treasure and honor the community with which I am blessed.”
GEOFFREY ARNOTT
College Transfer Graduate
Academic Award for Arnott
In recognition of excellence
15Vance-Granville Community College nominated John T. Kelly III of Durham, a student in the college’s Radiography program, shown above, for the North Carolina Community College System’s Dallas Herring Achievement Award in early 2015.
The system established the award in 2010 to honor the longtime State Board of Education chairman, one of the state’s earliest advocates of community colleges. Each year, the award recognizes a current or former community college student who best embodies Dr. Herring’s philosophy of “taking people where they are and carrying them as far as they can go.” In Kelly’s case, VGCC took him from being a hopeful student with big goals to obtaining a degree that allows him to pursue a career he has always wanted.
Kelly graduated from the VGCC Radiography program in May, bringing to a conclusion a difficult process of determining his career path. A native of Sanford, Kelly earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology in 1993 at UNC-Greensboro. He quickly realized that the degree, by itself, was not going to help him reach his career goals. Kelly became a truck driver and made a good salary, but he was never truly happy. “I realized that I wanted to return to my biology roots, but I felt that what I needed was to learn a trade, to gain skills in a medical specialty,” he said. After much soul-searching, research, reading and support from people at VGCC, Radiography “tugged” at him.
Over the course of three years, Kelly prepared financially so that he could go back to school and eventually was accepted into the Radiography program. “While this process of going back to school has been tough on the family, the end result will be more than worth all the sacrifice,” Kelly said.
Vance-Granville Community College nominated Adam G. Rooker of Norlina, a student in the Criminal Justice Technology program, for the North Carolina Community College System’s Governor Robert W. Scott Student Leadership Award.
The award was established in 2004 in honor of Scott, who served as Governor of North Carolina from 1969-1973, and as President of the N.C. Community College System from 1983-1995. Each year, the N.C. Association of Community College Presidents bestows the honor on one community college student in recognition of his or her academic and leadership achievements.
Rooker, pictured below, grew up in Wise and attended Norlina Christian School, serving as chaplain and president of his class. He graduated from high school in 2013, and later that year, he enrolled at VGCC. A full-time student, Rooker also works in the family business, Grape Hill Farm. “I have been helping out on the farm for as long I can remember, but for the past eight years, I have been managing the family’s produce stand,” Rooker said.
Rooker became a leader on campus at VGCC in 2014 when he was selected as an Ambassador.
Outside of VGCC he takes on leadership roles at his church and with Rebuilding Hope, a ministry that repairs and rebuilds houses.
Rooker
nominee for Scott Award
VGCC selects Kelly
for Herring Award
“I feel that I am setting a great example for our daughter, showing her that hard work is necessary and it is worth the hard work when there is something valuable at the end.”
JOHN KELLY
Radiography
GraduateThe achievements of one family from Warren County provide a quick glimpse at the impact of Vance-Granville Community College over the past 45 years. Three generations have used their VGCC education as a springboard to further academic and career success.
Hilda Cordell of Warrenton started this family tradition by enrolling at VGCC to study early childhood education. For part of the time she was a student, she also brought along her daughter, Katina, who attended the child day care center on campus. Later, Cordell would become a teacher at that center, and she would graduate from VGCC with an associate degree.
Katina D. Harris grew up and returned to VGCC as a student, and served as president of the Student Government Association. At first planning to complete a four-year business degree, Harris unexpectedly fell in love with the subject of Psychology in the College Transfer program. She graduated from VGCC with an Associate in Arts degree in 2012 and transferred to North Carolina Central University to continue studying Psychology.
Harris graduated in 2014 with numerous honors, including an Award of Excellence for Undergraduate Research. She also served on the Transfer Advisory Board at NCCU.
“I am grateful for the robust instruction I received from my instructors at VGCC,” Harris said. “The courses were very challenging, which successfully prepared me to compete as an undergraduate. It was often stated by professors and staff at NCCU that they loved transfer students, because transfer students were more mature and ready for higher education.”
Now, Harris is in her third semester of the Clinical Adolescent Psychology Ph.D. program at Prairie View A&M University in Texas. “VGCC’s transfer program gave me important fundamentals that help me in my graduate courses today,” Harris said. She noted that she still uses the lessons she learned not only in VGCC Psychology courses but also in English and Science.
Her daughter, Khadijah Tucker, became a VGCC student at an early age, as a member of the very first graduating class of Warren Early College High School. She went on to transfer to UNC-Greensboro, majoring in Sociology with a concentration in Criminology and minoring in American Sign Language. Tucker credits VGCC with helping her mature and prepare for the demands of a four-year university.
The woman who started it all, Hilda Cordell, has continued her own education. She completed a bachelor’s in Child Development at Walden University, and is currently pursuing a dual master’s degree in Christian Education and Theology at Dallas Baptist University.VGCC — A GatewayFor Three Generations
From left, Khadijah Tucker, Hilda Cordell and Katina Harris, in a photo taken at a going-away party for Harris as she left for graduate school.
Inspiring a diverse community of learners
17Vance-Granville Community College held a graduation ceremony in May 2015 to honor faculty and staff members who completed the inaugural “Vanguard Leadership Institute.”
The graduates were Dr. Kambiz Tahmaseb (Biology Instructor) of Durham; Clint Alston (Distance Education Software Specialist) of Henderson; Cathy Davis (Counselor) of Hillsborough; Elizabeth André (Nursing Instructor) of Virgilina, Va.; Anna Seaman (Nursing Instructor) of Manson; Glynnis Wilson (Financial Aid Assistant) of Norlina; Kyle Burwell (Human Resources Development Coordinator) and Benny Overton (Economics Instructor), both of Oxford; Derrick Cameron (Business Administration Instructor) of Raleigh; and Marque Debnam (Paralegal Technology Instructor) of Youngsville.
The purpose of the program, coordinated by VGCC Director of Leadership & Professional Development Jeffrey Allen, was to empower employees to be innovative leaders in their current positions at the college.
Participants completed a months-long leadership development program designed to provide opportunities for professional growth.
They also worked together to develop and implement a group project that would benefit the entire college.
Vance-Granville gets
‘Happy’ on YouTube
More than 350 students, faculty and staff. Four campuses. One college. — Are you as “Happy” as the Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards?
VGCC had unprecedented social media success with a video tribute to the Oscar-nominated song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, produced in 2014 by the VGCC Communications and Information Technology departments.
Celebrating the college’s diverse community of learners, the video was viewed throughout the year by nearly 5,000 people on YouTube ­— youtube.com/VanceGranvilleCC — and topped 11,000 views on the college’s Facebook page.
Radiography student
from VGCC selected
for leadership program
Nicholas L. Kemp of Franklinton, a Radiography student at Vance-Granville, shown at right in the photo, is among 90 radiologic science students from around the country who were chosen to participate in the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) 2015 Student Leadership Development Program.
Kemp is one of two North Carolina students who were accepted into the program, and the only one from a North Carolina community college. He is also the first student ever selected from VGCC.
First ‘Vanguard Leadership Institute’ honored
Outstanding Ambassadors
Vance-Granville Community College selected 13 students to serve as ambassadors for 2014-2015.
Ambassadors represent the college at special campus and community functions, among other duties.
Serving the academic year were, in front, from left: Ambrianna Winston, Sherly Gerardo, Adam Rooker, Theresa Chiplis, Dianna DeWeese, Joy Herndon and Daniel Davis; in back, from left: Cassie Harris, Joseph Richardson, Geoffrey Arnott, Shane O’Malley, Kathy Conant and Jonathan Herndon.
SGA students lead the way
Representatives for Vance-Granville’s Student Government Association were elected for 2014-2015 to promote the general welfare of the college in a democratic fashion and facilitate communication among the student body, the faculty and the administration.
SGA officers for 2014-2015 included, seated, from left, Secretary Imani Burwell, President Theresa Chiplis and Treasurer Cheryl Reddrick; and standing, from left, Vice President Joseph Richardson and Parliamentarian Joe Ahrens. The representatives were chosen both by department and by student organization.
Student government provides a means through which students can promote interest in student activities both on and off campus.
Supporting learners for professional and personal success
The program offers students a chance to get to know the ASRT, attend educational sessions, and network with medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals. Kemp received an all-expenses-paid trip to the ASRT Educational Symposium and Annual Governance and House of Delegates Meeting, June 25-28, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. While there, he attended courses specifically designed for students, attended the opening of the ASRT Museum and Archives and was assigned a professional mentor during the House of Delegates meeting.
“I applied to this program because it was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” Kemp said. “Having the chance to meet with leaders in my future field seemed invaluable.”
The ASRT represents more than 152,000 members who perform medical imaging procedures or plan and deliver radiation therapy treatments. The Society also provides radiologic technology students with the tools, services and support they need to prepare for careers in medical imaging and radiation therapy.
Kemp enrolled in the VGCC Radiography program because he wanted to make a career change after earning a bachelor’s degree and working for several years. Knowing that he wanted to go into health care, Kemp has already started to gain experience. He currently works full-time in the intensive care unit at Duke Raleigh Hospital as a Nursing Assistant on the night shift while attending school during the day.
Kemp is scheduled to graduate in May 2016 and would like to eventually continue his education through MRI, CT or Ultrasound training. Earlier this year, Kemp received an endowed academic achievement scholarship from VGCC.
19S
M
ON
THE
MOKE
The cast of the “Smoke on the Mountain,” shown at the top of the page, included, from left, Jessie Hartley (“Denise”), Morgan McFalls
(“Dennis”), Button Brady (“Vera”), Sidney Henderson (“Cousin Sid”), Spencer Nunn (“Pastor Oglethorpe”), Wendy Frandsen (“Miss
Myrtle”), Derek Jones (“Stanley”), Dana Jenkins (“Miss Maude”), the Rev. Pat Cox (“Burl”), and Lauren Elliott (“June”).
Shown above right are, from left, students Keith A. Tunstall and Jonathan Calamaco, Carpentry program head/instructor Keith Tunstall,
and students Brian Edwards and V’Randre Richardson stand on the set they constructed for the VGCC production.
In the photo at right are Culinary Arts students, seated, from left: Chardazsha Miller, Veronica Yount, Stacey Grissom, Heather Stallings,
Samantha Bunn, Alison Yarborough, Amanda Tillotson, Jacob Deweese, Mae Williams and Emory Gant; Standing, from left: Chef John
Boretti, Dustin Gregory, Denise White, Angela Moore, Jeramiah Tabor, Rod Hackney, Kentoria Wright, Randy Wilfong, Africia Edwards,
Djuan Closs, Clarance Bender, Joshua Prewer and Chef Ross Ragonese.
OUNTAIN
SOLD OUT:
Photo by Dan Miller
The Vance-Granville Community College Drama and Culinary Arts
departments teamed up once again to present an evening of delicious dining and
terrific theater with the production of the musical, “Smoke on the Mountain.”
VGCC’s third annual dinner theater was staged to sold-out audiences on the
evenings of Thursday, April 30, and Friday, May 1, 2015, in the Civic Center on
the Main Campus in Vance County.
“This year, our team has taken everything to a new level,” said Dr. Stelfanie
Williams, VGCC president. “First of all, ‘Smoke on the Mountain’ is Vance-
Granville’s first-ever musical. Second, the collaborative spirit has now expanded
to include our Carpentry department and our Music and Art programs adding
their own unique contributions to the event.”
VGCC staged its first-ever Dinner Theater in 2013 with the drama, “Our
Town,” followed in 2014 by the classic British mystery, “An Inspector Calls.”
“Smoke on the Mountain” (writen by Connie Ray and conceived by Alan
Bailey) tells the story of a Saturday night “Gospel sing” at a country church
in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains in 1938. The show features two dozen
rousing bluegrass songs played and sung by the Sanders Family, a traveling group
making its return to performing after a five-year hiatus. Pastor Oglethorpe, the
young and enthusiastic minister of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, has enlisted
the Sanders Family in his eforts to bring his tiny congregation into “the modern
world.” Between songs, each family member “witnesses” — telling a story about
an important event in his or her life. Though they try to appear perfect in the
eyes of a congregation who wants to be inspired by their songs, one thing after
another goes awry and they reveal their true — and hilariously imperfect —
natures.
In VGCC’s production, Spencer Nunn of Warrenton played Pastor Oglethorpe.
Cast members playing the Sanders family were Lauren Elliot of Oxford (“June”),
Rev. Pat Cox of Oxford (“Burl”), Buton Brady of Clarksville, Va. (“Vera”), Derek
Jones of Henderson (“Stanley”), Jessie Hartley of Oxford (“Denise”), Morgan
McFalls of Oxford (“Dennis”) and Sidney Henderson of Henderson (“Cousin Sid”).
Most cast members were current students at the college. The exceptions were
Brady, a VGCC Biology instructor; Elliot, a VGCC Business Ofice staf member
and alumna; and Cox, an adjunct instructor of Southern Culture and Religion
at the college. In addition, Wendy Frandsen, English instructor, played “Miss
Myrtle,” and Dana Jenkins, department chair and instructor in Mathematics,
was “Miss Maude,” members of Pastor Oglethorpe’s church in the musical.
21
Former NFL star Jason Brown, left, talks to the first graduating class of the NC REAL Agricultural Enterpreneurship class. Brown, who is now farming, played professionally with the St. Louis Rams, shown top right, and the Baltimore Ravens. A Vance County native, Brown was praised by VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams, center, for being “someone who is really giving back to his community.” The Rams photo is taken from a YouTube video by HIS Radio during an interview with Brown about his First Fruits Farm and Wisdom of Life Ministry.
Learning
to handle horses
VGCC offered its first Horsemanship course in Fall 2014, part of a new program based at Warren Campus. The Comprehensive Natural Horsemanship Program consists of four courses offered by the Occupational Extension department, providing the education and training for an individual to seek employment associated with the horse industry.
Former NFL star praises farming
The 14 graduates of the first-ever NC REAL Agricultural Entrepreneurship class at Vance-Granville received certificates and heard words of encouragement from former NFL-star-turned-farmer Jason Brown in December 2014.
“Farmers are the backbone” of the local area, our state and nation, Brown, a former center for two National Football League teams, told the graduates. “All roads lead back to the farmer,” he said, describing the rewards for being involved in agriculture.
After playing college and professional football, Brown is now farming 1,000 acres of land in Franklin County. His First Fruits Farm and Wisdom of Life Ministry were profiled on CBS News for the donation of 120,000 pounds of sweet potatoes to food pantries and churches in the Triangle area.
The course was designed to help participants succeed in developing profitable, environmentally-sound farms or agricultural businesses.
22Leading the economic development of our region
Fueling Small
Business Growth
Representatives of area businesses and non-profit organizations gathered in the VGCC Civic Center on October 21, 2014, for the Small Business Summit and Expo, organized by the VGCC Small Business Center in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce of Warren County and the Lake Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The “Fueling Small Business Growth” event featured guest speakers, discussions and opportunities for local entrepreneurs and business leaders to network. The keynote speaker was Rick Burtner, at left in the photo at right, president/CEO of Propel GPS.
VGCC celebrated the graduation of the first class from the two-year Paralegal Technology degree program in May 2015. Also worth celebrating was the fact that by the time they graduated, some of the students had already secured employment in their chosen career field. Members of the first graduating class included Kevin W. Allen of Franklinton; Kristy L. Hope of Henderson; Safwan A. Ali and Megan N. Finch, both of Louisburg; Tanisha L. Bullock and Donna W. McAllister, both of Manson; and Michelle R. Williams of Raleigh.
VGCC celebrates first Paralegal graduates
In 2015, Vance-Granville introduced a series of courses for entrepreneurs who want to compete in the growing food truck industry.
The Mobile Food Truck Entrepreneurship program, held at the Franklin Campus, was the first of its kind in North Carolina.
A partnership of VGCC’s Small Business Center and Personal Enrichment department, the series of four workshops was followed by a Food Truck Rodeo, with both community and college participation.
Food Trucks
Come to VGCCIn August 2014, Vance-Granville Community College President Dr. Stelfanie
Williams presented two of the college’s three Glen Raven, Inc., annual
awards to a pair of outstanding VGCC employees. Kathryn M. “Kathy” Ktul of
Louisburg, the college’s registrar, was named Staff Member of the Year for
2014-15, while Cosmetology program head/instructor Tomeka C. Moss of
Wake Forest was chosen as the Faculty Member of the Year.
KATHY KTUL
STAFF MEMBER OF THE YEAR
Kathy Ktul, who worked in community colleges for the past
28 years, started her education as a community college
student. She earned an Associate in Applied Science degree
at Alfred State College, a State University of New York College
of Technology. Ktul went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in
education at Cornell University and later a master’s degree
at North Carolina State University. She served as a Peace
Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone in West Africa for two years,
teaching English, agriculture and home economics. Ktul joined
the staf of Wake Technical Community College in 1986 as
coordinator of English as a Second Language and later served
as international student coordinator there. She became
Registrar at Vance-Granville in 2001 and for several years was
Director of Admissions and Records, as well. Ktul received
a VGCC President’s Leadership Award in 2009. Colleagues
praise her work in helping students and faculty members to
navigate changes in developmental courses and the newly
revised articulation agreement with the UNC system.
TOMEKA MOSS
FACULTY MEMBER OF THE YEAR
Tomeka Moss is a Warren County native and a graduate of
VGCC, where she completed the Cosmetology certificate and
diploma programs, the Cosmetology Instructor course and an
Associate in Applied Science degree in General Occupational
Technology. She joined VGCC as a Cosmetology instructor
in 1991 and became the lead instructor at the college’s
South Campus in Granville County in 1999. Since 2005,
Moss has been the program head, overseeing instruction
at all four college campuses in addition to teaching at Main
Campus. As head of the Cosmetology program, Moss has
sought to connect students with potential employers and
has challenged students through competitions. Earlier in
2014, her department held a competition that pited VGCC
students against their peers from two nearby community
colleges for the first time. Moss, a member of the Haliwa-
Saponi tribe, has also organized events at the college to
celebrate Native American Heritage Month for the past two
years.
24
In recognition of excellence
H ONORING
L
EADERSHIP
ERICA JASTROW
PRESIDENT’S LEADERSHIP AWARD
Erica Jastrow, VGCC’s department chair of Nursing, was honored in January 2015 with the President’s Leadership Award. Jastrow’s honor is one of three Glen Raven Excellence in Teaching and Leadership Awards presented to VGCC employees each year. “Erica embodies Vance-Granville’s commitment to student success,” VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams said. “She is a dedicated leader who maintains high standards so that our Nursing students receive the education, inspiration and support they need to excel in their careers. Meanwhile, she demonstrates a strong commitment to her own professional development, benefiting not only her students but also her colleagues.” A resident of Franklinton, Jastrow has taught at VGCC since 2004 and became head of the Nursing department in 2011. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Lenoir-Rhyne University and later completed a master’s in Nursing Education at UNC-Greensboro. She has been a Registered Nurse for 15 years, with experience in Intensive Care Units and Nursing Supervision in local and teaching hospitals. In 2013, Jastrow became a Certified Nurse Educator through the National League for Nursing. She was one of the first three VGCC Nursing faculty to become certified through this program.
DR. STELFANIE WILLIAMS
I.E. READY AWARD, NCSU
VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams was the 2014 recipient of the I.E. Ready Distinguished Leader Award presented by the College of Education at North Carolina State University. “The award honors community college presidents who are alumni of N.C. State for demonstrating exceptional abilities to lead, serve, inspire and collaborate with broad impact,” said Dr. Mary Ann Danowitz, Department Head of Leadership, Policy and Adult and Higher Education at the university. The award was established in memory of Ready, the first president of the North Carolina Community College System.
Dr. Williams, second from left, with officials from N.C. State University.Vance-Granville Community College’s South Campus hosted a St. Baldrick’s “Head-Shaving” event in March 2015, raising $2,821 for children’s cancer research. Donations were made to sponsor 11 people whose heads were shaved in the Cosmetology lab on the campus.
The event was organized by VGCC Human Services Technology program head/instructor Tracy Wallace of Kittrell, shown above right, who became involved with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation because of his 11-year-old son, Tyler, at left, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2010. VGCC Cosmetology instructor Nancy Jackson finished the job after young Tyler had started the shearing.
Heads shaved,
thousands
raised
for cancer
researchIn partnership with our community
Vance-Granville’s Carpentry program is partnering with Granville County Habitat for Humanity to construct a new affordable home in Oxford for a needy family. Officials from VGCC joined Habitat volunteers and community leaders at a groundbreaking ceremony at 305 Linden Avenue, the site that one day will house a local family, in October 2014.
In a first for the college, Carpentry students were building the house as part of their course work on weekdays, while local volunteers were working on the weekends.
“We look forward to a long-term partnership with Habitat for Humanity, which will teach our students what community service is truly all about,” VGCC Dean of Business and Applied Technologies Angela Gardner-Ragland said.
H ELPING
H ABITAT
Celebrating gospel
In the spirit of bringing together the college with the communities it serves, VGCC held a “Celebration of Gospel” in February 2015, in honor of Black History Month.
Organized by the VGCC Division of Business and Applied Technologies, the program featured five area church and college choirs, a gospel quartet, liturgical dance and a mime ministry.
At left, Steven Hargrove, VGCC’s Public Services department chair, leads a combined choir during the event in the VGCC Civic Center.
27CAMPSSCIENCEMiddle & high school students MEDstudents comPe to VGCCS to learn
DRAMASCIENCEMINI-MEDThe Vanguards men’s basketball team started the
2014-2015 season with great promise and ultimately
advanced to the second round of the National Junior
College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region X Division
II tournament.
A close contest with the nationally ranked
Louisburg College Hurricanes was among highlights
of the season as a large home crowd cheered on the
Vanguards at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson
on Dec. 3, 2014. Although the home team (who came
into the contest with a 1-7 record) eventually lost to
the undefeated Hurricanes by a score of 100-90, the
outcome was in doubt for much of the evening.
The Vanguards led for almost the entire first 10
minutes of the game, seeming to catch the visitors
of-guard and delighting the fans, who filled the stands
for what VGCC called “Vanguard Night,” complete with
a DJ, prize drawings and a halftime show by the step
team from a Granville County youth organization, “Un-
Rappin’ the Gift.”
The Vanguards were seeded eighth out of the 11
teams in the NJCAA tournament, the first two rounds
of which were held in Petersburg, Va.
In the tournament’s opening round, the Vanguards
faced the ninth-seed Eagles of Wake Tech Community
College in late February. VGCC won the match-up,
besting the Eagles squad for the second time that
month. The victory was the VGCC basketball program’s
Cheering FOR
OUR
first win in the post-season since 2010.
With the win, the Vanguards advanced to the
second round, but lost to the number-one seed and
regular-season champion, Louisburg College.
At the close of the season, two sophomores
from the Vanguards signed letters of intent to play
at the next level with Johnson & Wales University in
Charlote while a third signed with Bluefield College.
Guard Jarret Ballard of Durham and forward
Rodney Kirby of Burlington transferred to JWU, a four-year
school considered a rising program in the United
States Collegiate Athletic Association. Khadier Fulcher
of Oxford, named VGCC’s “Most Oustanding Player,” is
continuing his playing career at four-year BC.
Ballard and Kirby are joining a Wildcats team
that made it to the Final Four of the USCAA Division
II basketball championship earlier in 2015. Fulcher’s
Rams compete in the Appalachian Athletic Conference
and are members of the National Association of
Intercollegiate Athletics.
The Vanguards, in white, take on Louisburg College’s Hurricanes on Vanguard
Night in December 2014 with a crowd of students, staff, faculty and family
cheering for them.
30
VGCC women’s volleyball player Kara Reese of Henderson was selected to the All-Region First Team by coaches in National Junior College Athletic Association Region X, Division III. She is the first student-athlete in the history of the VGCC volleyball program to be so honored. An Outside Hitter for the Vanguards, Reese racked up impressive stats during the 2014 season, her first on the team. She recorded a team-leading 80 kills (1.9 per game, or set), 76 digs (1.8 per game), 44 blocks (1.3 per game) and 134 points (3.1 per game). A student in the College Transfer program, she plans to enter the Radiography program. She graduated from Vance County Early College High School and was a member of the girls’ volleyball team at Northern Vance High School.
Reese named All-Region First Team,
a VGCC first
Fostering student engagement in college life
VGCC celebrates
charter anniversary
Vance-Granville’s students, faculty and staff held a 45th anniversary party on Sept. 4, 2014, in the student lounge on the college’s Main Campus. The original charter for the college, then known as Vance County Technical Institute, was issued by the State Board of Education on Sept. 4, 1969, following authorization by the N.C. General Assembly earlier that year.
As recordings of some of the most popular music of 1969 played in the background, members of the college community enjoyed refreshments that included birthday cake, cupcakes and punch, all in the school colors, green and gold.
“This anniversary offers us a chance to reflect on the strong foundation that Vance-Granville Community College students, faculty, staff and leaders have built over the past 45 years,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of the college. “Their vision and their accomplishments, along with the support and engagement of our community partners, inspire us to imagine the opportunities we will have in the future to serve our students and our entire region.”
Vance-Granville Community College held a series of two free workshops for students in April 2015 called “An Educated Woman, An Educated Future,” designed to inspire women to consider careers related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The program was made possible through support from the VGCC Endowment Fund and the Plus 50 Encore Completion Grant from the American Association of Community Colleges.
In the first workshop, “Let’s Talk STEM,” students heard from panelists about their own experiences in STEM careers: Stephanie Ayers, project manager for the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Training Alliance, a partnership of VGCC and local school systems, and VGCC Director of Customized Training Sara Lloyd, who both worked in the manufacturing sector and engineering; and Dean of Health Sciences Angela Thomas, a radiologic technologist.
The second, “What Do STEM Jobs Really Look Like?” featured Joretha Johnson, a management consultant and retired plant manager for Procter and Gamble Pet Care/Iams Corporation. She said that many women think they are “not technical,” and that is how she thought of herself until she majored in Chemical Engineering in college. “It’s important for women to go into STEM careers so that we may provide better lives for ourselves and our children,” Johnson said.
Inspiring women to pursue STEM careers
VGCC staff and supporters gather for “Educated Woman” workshop. From left are Kay Currin from the college, supporter Katharine Horner, Sara Lloyd from VGCC, and supporter Linda Weaver. By Jamica Whitaker, Staff Writer
The Daily Dispatch, Henderson
The class was about justice, and fifth-graders from Clarke Elementary were invited.
Vance-Granville Community College and the Vance County Sheriff’s Office partnered to give a group of local children a taste of college life.
College Student for a Day was presented by Vance-Granville’s criminal justice and paralegal technology programs on April 24, 2015, to 24 students.
The students began their day with a lecture that asked them to define justice. They examined a real-life case and sentencing then wrote whether or not they thought justice had been served.
“The middle-schoolers are really interactive,” Antoinette Dickens, paralegal technology program head, said. “They’re really fun, and they get a taste of college.”
College students in the two programs presenting the event talked to the class about their college experience and what they enjoyed about it. They also gave presentations on several criminal justice topics, including drug use, human trafficking and evidence collection.
The most interactive part of the day was when students reconstructed a crime scene, putting three pieces of evidence back where they were found following a crime, using just measurements and few details.
“I learned that you shouldn’t use drugs because they tear you up,” Talia Wiggins, Clarke Elementary fifth-grader, said. “And I learned that you shouldn’t join a gang because when you get older and have children and want to get out, they’ll (gang members) come after you. Your kids and family will come next.”
Fellow fifth-grader, Isaiah Lewis, said he picked up a few things, too.
“We learned that drugs are bad for you,” he said. “And we learned about a crime scene.”
Melissa Elliott, gang resource officer with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, said the students were part of the department’s gang awareness program.
“It’s important to talk to them at this age because of the transition that they’re about to make to middle school,” she said. “I want them to be confident as they go into that next stage of their lives.”
This is the second year of College Student for a Day, Elliott said, and she hopes the message is getting through to the children.
“I just want them to know that education matters, that they matter,” she said.
Dickens agreed that showing children college is accessible is crucial.
“A lot of students don’t think that they can go to college, and they’re not aware of how many programs Vance-Granville offers,” Dickens said. “It’s something they need to know about, this gem in their backyard.”
Note: The College Student for a Day program was conducted for students from several Vance County county schools in 2014-2015.
VGCC, law officers give students taste of college
Cultivating a college-wide culture of support for learners
Each semester at Vance-Granville Community College, nearly a thousand high school students take advantage of tuition-free classes through the Career and College Promise program.
CCP, as it is known around campus, offers structured opportunities for qualified high school students to pursue one of three pathways at VGCC that lead to a certificate, diploma or degree as well as providing entry-level job skills.
“Students have an incredible opportunity to be enrolled in both high school and college courses at the same time in order to earn both high school and college credit,” said Lyndon Hall, VGCC’s director of joint high school programs. “High school juniors and seniors can get a head start on a two-year degree or four-year degree while they are still in high school, and it’s tuition free.”
Academic credits earned through CCP pathways enable students who continue into postsecondary education, after high school graduation, to complete an undergraduate degree in less time than high school students without college credit would need to complete. Enrollment in CCP is available to public, private, and home-schooled high school students.
Specific qualification criteria for all high school students are required for each pathway in either Career and Technical Education (CTE) or College Transfer.
More than 700 students were served through the early college high schools located at each of VGCC’s four campuses.
In the fall of 2014, 115 high school-age students outside the early college high schools pursued a CTE pathway while 71 followed the College Transfer pathway for a total of 186 students taking advantage of the free tuition and head start.
High school students enjoy free tuition
33Vance-Granville
Community College
enriches the lives of students and increases their lifetime incomes. For every $1 the student invests in a VGCC education, he or she will receive approximately $7.70 in higher future earnings over the course of a working career. Over the course of a working lifetime, associate’s degree graduates in the VGCC service area earn $318,500 more than someone without a high school diploma.
Economic Modeling Specialists Intl., 2013
c
c
Students
OUR
Percentages of
Curriculum Students
By County:
28.5% 24.5% 10.7%
Gran
ville Vance Warren
County
County
County
19.9%
F
ranklin
County
1.7% 14.5% .2%
Other NC Adjacent Non-NC
Counties Counties Counties
2014-2015
11,397
* Unduplicated is not the sum of the two totals because some students took both Curriculum courses and Continuing Education/Literacy courses.
CURRICULUM
PROGRAMS
CONTINUING
EDUCATION/LITERACY
CUSTOMIZED
INDUSTRIAL TRAINING
4,552
Students
34% 66%
Male Female
27
Average Age
16 16:1
Students Student/Faculty
Per Class Ratio
7,339
Students
65% 35%
Male Female
37
Average Age
5,714 1,625
Students in
Occupational &
Industry Training,
Small Business Center, Personal Enrichment
Students in
Adult Basic Skills,
English as a Second Language, High School Equivalency
22
Companies
/Industries
Served
493
Trainees
SMALL BUSINESS CENTER
SERVICES
71
Seminars
683
Attendees
91
Clients
GRADUATES
CURRICULUM
474
Associate
Degrees
151
Diplomas
85
Certificates
TOTAL STUDENTS
Unduplicated Headcount*
GRADUATES
LITERACY
117
High School
Equivalency
110
Adult High
School DiplomasResources
OUR
Tuition* In-State Out-of-State
Per Credit Hour (full-time) $72.00 $264.00
Per Semester
(full-time, 16 hours or more) $1,152.00 $4,224.00
* Tuition is set by the North Carolina General Assembly and is subject to change.
FINANCIAL AID Number of Dollars
For Students Recipients Awarded
Pell Grants 1,943 $5,840,153
VGCC Scholarships 300 $192,029
Institutional Grants 217 $91,462
N.C. Community College Grants 348 $163,583
N.C. Education Lottery Scholarships 181 $156,495
Federal Work-Study Program 43 $87,777
Veterans Educational Benefits 85 $393,698
Other Financial Aid 1,863 $1,439,708
TOTAL (Unduplicated) 3,467 $8,394,905
STATE $20,795,856
COUNTY $2,627,820
FEDERAL $6,732,892
OTHER $3,958,221
TOTAL
FUNDING $34,114,789
1
2
3
4
FUNDING
TUITION
OUR STAFF
Full-Time Instructors 152
Full-Time Staff 169
Part-Time Instructors 315
Part-Time Staff 128
2014-2015
COUNTY
7.7%
STATE
61%
FEDERAL
19.7%
OTHER
11.6%
35The 2014-2015 fiscal year marked another year of growth for the Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund with six new scholarships becoming fully endowed in addition to a significant amount of activity involving new and existing scholarships.
Through the Endowment Fund, VGCC has awarded more than 8,000 scholarships to students since 1982. Scholarships have been endowed by numerous individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff.
Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business or industry with a lasting gift to education.
In the 2014-2015 fiscal year, the following six new scholarships were started:
A Presidential Scholar Award, the most prestigious scholarship offered to students, was created in memory of Lelia Brigham. (See Pages 4-5 for more information.)
The Hubert L. Gooch, Jr., Memorial Academic Achievement Scholarship, with preference given to students who are residents of Granville County, was created in October 2014 by his family. Gooch, a longtime educator and community leader, died in March 2014. Gooch also served on the VGCC Board of Trustees and the Endowment Fund board.
The Oxford Lodge, No. 103, Independent Order of Odd Fellows Presidential Scholar Award was established by the local service organization with inspiration in part by longtime club treasurer J. David Brooks of Oxford, who died in February 2015. Brooks was a former trustee at VGCC.
The Hervé and Jackie Sergent Scholarship, created by the Oxford mayor and her husband, was created to help children attending the VGCC Science Camps each summer.
The Union Bank & Trust Founding Directors Academic Achievement Award was established in March by the Oxford-based bank to pay tribute to the business and community leaders who founded the bank.
The Virginia L. Wester Academic Achievement Scholarship was endowed by W. Hutson “Hut” Wester in January 2015 in memory of his wife, who died the previous January. The new Wester scholarship will be given to students who are planning to
L EGACY
G IVING
OF
Above: From left, VGCC Endowment Specialist Kay Currin, Linda C. Ligon, VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams and Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson. Brigham’s sister, Linda C. Ligon of Tryon, N.C., visited with college officials to celebrate the establishment of the new scholarship on the family’s behalf. In addition to Ligon, Brigham was survived by another sister, Gale C. Morgan of Birmingham, Alabama.
L IVING
Atransfer to a four-year university and pursue a major related to insurance. A continuing education instructor in insurance at VGCC for several years, Wester has been instrumental in endowing two other scholarships.
Four additional scholarships were started:
The Charles and Audrey Ballentine Academic Achievement Scholarship was established in memory of her parents by Dr. Angela Ballentine, VGCC’s vice president of academic and student affairs. Dr. Ballentine’s parents were both educators in Rockingham County. Preference will be given to students in the VGCC Radiography degree program.
The Charles L. Brooks Sr. Scholarship keeps alive the memory of a VGCC South Campus custodian/housekeeper from Oxford who died in 2009 following a long battle with leukemia. His friends and co-workers have established the scholarship and are seeking contributions to make it fully funded so that it might soon be awarded to students.
Sue Wooten Grissom Academic Achievement Scholarship, created by Brigham, is designated for students who came to VGCC for an adult high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma and then enrolled in a curriculum program to earn a certificate, diploma or degree.
Keith and Stelfanie Williams Family Presidential Merit Award, created by VGCC’s president and her family, was established for an adult high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma graduate who then enrolled in a curriculum program to earn a certificate, diploma or degree.
In addition, two previously-established scholarships became fully endowed during the year:
The Triangle North Healthcare Foundation Academic Achievement Scholarship, for students pursuing a health-related program of study, was completed with a final contribution from the foundation.
The Robert J. Turner/Henderson Kiwanis Club Academic Achievement Scholarship was completed by the civic club in memory of a longtime member.
PSNC Energy also increased the size of its scholarship endowment as well.
Endowment Board
2014-2015
Dr. Stelfanie Williams
Chair
Robert L. Hubbard
Vice Chair
Julia Ann Taylor
Secretary
Julius Banzet III
Sarah Baskerville
Deborah F. Brown
Jim Chatman
James W. Crawford, Jr.
Dr. Ben F. Currin
L. Opie Frazier, Jr.
Paul W. Harris
Rev. Dr. Richard M. Henderson
T.S. Royster, Jr.
Donald C. Seifert, Sr.
Todd Wemyss
VGCC Board of Trustees chair Deborah F. Brown (left) accepts a symbolic check for $21,441 from the leaders of the VGCC Endowment Fund Faculty and Staff Drive at the Nov. 17, 2014, Board meeting. The drive co-chairs were, start­ing second from left, School-Age Education program head/instructor Jacquelin Heath, Computer Education instructor Steven Sievert and Director of Student Success Amy O’Geary.
Geraldine Green Gooch, seated, and Katrina Gooch Lawson, standing in the cen­ter, the wife and daughter, respectively, of former VGCC Trustee Hubert L. Gooch, Jr., present contributions to the Endowment Fund, represented by Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson, left, and VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams to endow the Academic Achievement Scholarship in memory of Gooch.
37D
ONORS
ENDOWMENT FUND
FOUNDERS’ CIRCLE
— $5,000 and Up
Estate of Lelia Brigham
Century 21 Hancock
Properties, Inc.
Duke Energy Foundation
Charles W. Finch
Brenda Frazier
Estate of Hubert L. Gooch, Jr.
Oxford Lodge, #103, I.O.O.O. F.
Rainpark
SCANA Services, Inc.
Jackie & Hervé Sergent
Triangle North Healthcare
Union Bank & Trust Company
Universal Leaf Foundation
Wester Realty & Insurance
Agency, Inc.
VGCC Golf Tournament
Anonymous
PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE
— $2,500 to $4,999.99
Ardagh Glass
AXA Foundation
Care Fusion
CertainTeed Corportation
Glen Raven, Inc.
Granville Co. Cattleman’s
Association
Maria Parham Medical Center
Mountain Creek Baptist Church
Charles and Carolyn Noblin
Novozymes North America
Dr. Stelfanie Williams
Wythe Advantage, Inc.
Anonymous
DEANS’ CIRCLE
— $1,000 to $2,499.99
Altec Industries, Inc.
Mary Ann Antley
Dr. Angela Ballentine
Carolina Commonwealth
Forest Products
Stacey Carter-Coley
CenturyLink
Circuit Technology
James Crawford
Phyllis L. Dixon
Wil Drake
Durham Coca-Cola
Toney O. Falkner
Marjorie B. Gentry
Jack Hoile
Katharine Horner
Inter Technologies
K-Flex
Don W. Lee
M.R. Williams
John Nelms
Marsha Nelson
Park Automation Inc.
The Pegram Agency
Revlon
Robling Medical
Say So Ministries
Toyota of Henderson
Variety Stores, Inc./Roses Stores
George Watkins
Linda B. Weaver
Anonymous
Ardagh Glass
Richard B. Armfield
Bowers & Burrows
Jason Brown
Carolina Country Snacks
City Tire, Inc.
Dr. Samuel M. Currin
Mr. & Mrs. James Edwards
Granville Health System
H. G. Reynolds
Joe Hamme
Institutional Interiors, Inc.
Lake Gaston Computer Club
Newton Instrument Co.
Steven Sievert
Stainback & Satterwhite Attorneys
Jesse A. Sullins, Jr.
Ted’s Catering Service Company
Tru-Green Lawn and Landscaping
Vance Athletic Supply Co., Inc.
Winston International, LTD
Anonymous
SCHOLARS’ CIRCLE
— $500 to $999.99
HONOR’S CIRCLE
— $250 to $499.99
Catherine Barham
William Barnett
Barnett Properties, LLC
David Carver
Mr. & Mrs. Dave Currin
Mr. & Mrs. Eddie Ferguson
Roger Gouge
George Henderson
Henderson Wellness Center PA
Holden, Moss, Knott, Clark & Taylor
Lindsay Precast
Bobbie Jo May
Steve McGrady
Mpact Solutions
Neuse Sport Shop, Inc.,
Sean Newton
North Carolina Association
for Black High Schools
Amy O’Geary
REW Medical
Shalag US Inc.
Walmart Distribution Center
Eleanor Waterman
Cecilia Wheeler
Anonymous
FRIENDS’ CIRCLE
— Up to $249.99
220 Seafood Restaurant
AAA Mid-Atlantic
Larraine Abbott
Jeffrey Allen
Jennifer Allen
John Allen
Patrice Allen
Glen Alston
Catherine Andrews
John Andrews
Emily Ankrom
Olu Ariyo
Bobby Austin
Auto Connection
AWH Promotional Products
Carolyn Ayscue
Melissa Ayscue
Spence Bailey
Tammy Ball
Mr. & Mrs. Julius Banzet
Barnett Real Properties, Inc.
Stephen Barney
Andrew Beal
Bearpond Market, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. James G. Beck
Bridget Bell
Daniel Bender
Jean Blaine
Diane Blalock
Kelly Bondurant
Susan Boos
John Boretti
Gary L. Bowman
Glenda Bowman
Glen Boyd
Helen Bradby
Button Brady
Phillips, Dorsey, Thomas,
Waters & Brafford
Brame Specialty Company
Brassfield Realty
Fred Brewer
Gina Brewer
Ivory Brock
Maureen Broderick
Michael Brodie
Chris Brockman
Kali Brown
Jason Bryan
Randy Bryant
Reba Bullock
Reggie Bullock
John Bunch
Kyle Burwell
Bernard Burch
Burger King/Carolina Quality Inc.
Phyllis G. Bynum
C&P Body Shop, Inc.
Derrick Cameron
Jennifer Campbell
Carolina Solar Energy
Carolina Sunrock LLC
Geraldine Cash
Susan Cease
CEI
Century 21
Margaret Chaves-Smith
Mack Choplin
Betty Clark
Coldwell Banker Advantage
Alvin Lorenzo Coley
Comfort Zone Designers, Inc.
Melanie Copeland
Susan Corbitt
Hilda Cordell
Joellen Craft
Jennifer Creech
Calvin Crews
Ben Currin
Benjamin M. Currin
Luther Curtis
Lewis Daughtry
Cathy Davis
Jennie Davis
Jillian Davis
Shelia Davis
Yamika Dawes
Marque Debnam
Tina Dekle
Pamela Dezurik
Antoinette Dickens
Claudette Dickerson
Dill Air Controls Products
Dot’s Hallmark
Drake Dentistry
Eakes Funeral Home, Inc.
Early Insurance Company
Blondelle Edgerton
Edmundon & Burnette
Attorneys
Lisa Edwards
Tommy Edwards
Lauren Elliott
Betty Jo Ellis
Skipper Forsyth’s Bar-B-Q Inc.
Encore Technology Group, LLC
James Epps
Mitch Evans
Wallace Evans
Express Employment
Delton Farmer
Karen Feezor
Andrea Ferguson
Dale Fey
First Citizens Bank
Robinette Fischer
Landis Fisher
Amy Fleming
Erica Fleming
Linda Fletcher
Flowers Funeral Home, Inc.
Focus Design Builders
Erin Folz
Lori Forsythe
George S. Foster
Macy Foster
Willie Mae Foster-Hill
Wendy Frandsen
Franklin County Committee
of 100
Frazco Inc.
Michael Frazier
Roberta Freeman
Samuel Fuller
Angela Gardner-Ragland
Hollie Garrett
Donna Gill
Gilmore Global
Golden Skillet
Faye Goode
Steven Graham
Granville Economic
Development Commission
Beth Gray
Serena Green
Greystone Concrete
Products, Inc.
Andy Grissom
Rose Marie Grissom
Evelyn Hall
Lyndon Hall
Tara Hamilton
Carl Hann
Antonio Hargrove
Bernard Hargrove
Jermiel Hargrove
Steven Hargrove
Trudy Hargrove
Deborah Harris
Evelyn Harris
Faith Harris
Pamela Harris
Brenda Harvey
Jessica Harvey
Bonita Hawkins
Jackie Heath
Betsy Henderson
Julie Hicks
Hight Warehouse
Emily P. Hill
Dennis Hodge
Hopper, Hicks & Wrenn, AttorneysWe are pleased to recognize the generous contributions made by these individuals and businesses through their continued support of the VGCC Endowment Fund from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015.
The Oxford Lodge, No. 103, Independent Order of Odd Fellows Presidential Scholar Award was established by the local service organization with inspiration in part by longtime club treasurer J. David Brooks of Oxford, who died in Febru­ary 2015. Brooks was a former trustee at VGCC.
Robert Hubbard
Faith M. Hudgins
Robert Hudson
Debra Hughes
Gregory Hughes
Kathy Hughes
Diane Hunt
Leslie Hurt, Jr.
Hydro Service & Supplies, Inc.
Kim Jackson
Nancy Jackson
Erica Jastrow
Sam Jefferson
Dana Jenkins
Tina Johnson
Larry Jones
Michelle Jones
Suzanne Keil
Sherrie Kemp-Bruce
June Kersey
Kiwanis Club of Henderson, Inc.
Victoria Klesmith
Blair Kraft
Kathy Ktul
Jeremy Lambert
Dr. Ken Lewis
Priscilla Lewis
Sara Lloyd
Jenny Luffman
Timothy MacNeil
Frank Madigan
Camella Marcom
Mast Drug Company, Inc.
Mary McMannen
Steve McNally
Medical Arts Pahrmacy
Christan Melvin
Peter Metzner
Daniel Miller
Susan Miller
Evangeline Mitchell
Tina Moll
Philip Mondou
Esdras de la Torre Moran
Patrick Morris
Morton and Sherman
Implement Co., Inc.
Mosley Plumbing Co.
Tomeka Moss
Greg Nash
Jerry Neve
Elton L. Newbern, III
Robert Newby
Sandra Newton
Nick & Sons Truck Repair, Inc.
Gabrielle Norfleet
Tommy Nowell
Sharon O’Geary
One Source Document Solutions, Inc.
Emmanuel Otti
Benny Overton
Randy Owen
Rusty Pace
Pacific Coast Feather Company
Candy Parker
Darlene Parrish
Rhonda Paynter
Rhonda Pegram
Patricia Pendergrass
April Perkinson
Jeff Perry
Sharon E. Perry
Pete Smith Tire & Quick Lube, Inc.
Seletha Pherribo-Bumphus
Veta Pierce-Cappetta
Carol Piper
Anthony Pope
James Powell
Prim Real Estate Rentals
Professional Pharmacy of Oxford
Jack Puckett
Norma Pulley
Ross J. Ragonese
Mike Rainey
David Ramey
Abul Rasheed
RFR Metal Fabrication
Frances Rice
Iris Richardson
Rick Edwards Electric
Robco Manufacturing, Inc.
Nicole Roberson
Thomas Robinson
Tyrone Robinson
Lisa Rodwell
Travis Ross
April Rossi
Nancy Rouse
Anna Royster
T.S. Royster, Jr.
Royster & Cross Attorneys
Gail Ruby
David Ruggles
Kristi Salmons-Ellenberg
Craig Saunders
Donald Seifert
Keith Shearon
Sherman & Boddie, Inc.
Timothy W. Short
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Sloderbeck
Ricky Small
Vivian Smith
Wesley Smith
Jason Snelling
Stacey Soles
Patrick S. Southerland
Southern Educational Systems
Jonathan Sparks
Deanna Stegall
Elaine Stem
Julie Sterling
Rebecca Stewart
Tonya Strum
Zane Styers
Superior Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep
Chrystal Swilley
Kambiz Tahmased
Isaac Talley
Allen Tharrington
Owen Tharrington
Andrew Thomas
Phyllis Thomas
Ernest R. Thompson
Joanne Thompson
Natasha Thompson
O.D. Towler
Spring Tucker
Robert Tulloch II
Keith Tunstall
Utilization Review Dept.
Vance Construction Co.
Vanguarden Members
Vescom America
VGCC Health Sciences
Tonya Waddle
Wake Electric
Tracey Wallace
Michael Ward, Jr.
Herbert Washington
Alex Watkins
Johnny Watkins
Vickie S. Watkins
Vickie W. Watkins
Watkins Development Co. Inc.
Randy Weary
Tanya Weary
Todd Wemyss
Sara Wester
Kelly Wheeler
Whitco Termite and Pest Control
J.M. White Funeral Services Inc.
William White
William Stark and Company
Alicia Williams
Dorothy Williams
Wesley Williams
Susan Williamson
Glynnis Wilson
Gregory Wilson
Kenneth Wilson
Steven Woodworth
WOW Wash on Wheels
Danny W. Wright
Robert Wright
WW Properties & Rentals, LLC
David Wyche
Yolander Yoder
Cynthia Young
Gerald Young
Anonymous
IN-KIND GIFTS
— July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015
Ace Hardware of Oxford
Bamboo Garden
Bob Hubbard
Bridgestone Bandag
Carolina Country Snacks
Carolina Lanes Bowling
City Tire
Cracker Barrel #343
Dell, Inc.
Denny’s
EZ Car Care Center
George’s of Oxford
Golden Corral
Golden Skillet
Harvest
Henderson Wellness Center
House of Ribeyes, Oxford
Ichibar Japanese Restaurant
Institutional Interiors Inc.
International Paper
Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse
Mayflower Seafood Restaurant
McConnell Golf, LLC
Milano’s of Oxford
One Source Document Solutions
Pizza Hut of Henderson
Pizza Inn of Henderson
Ribeyes of Henderson
Ribeyes of Oxford
Schewels Furniture Company
Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q
Southern Laundry
Stella & Dot by Michelle Burgess
Tarheel Vending and Wholesale
The Angus Barn
The Peanut Roaster
Toyota of Henderson
Vance Furniture
Vanco Equipment Services
Variety Wholesalers/Roses Stores
IN-KIND GIFTS
— July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015
GIFTS MADE IN HONOR
OR IN MEMORY OF
— July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015
Charles and Audrey Ballentine
Lelia Brigham
Charles Brooks
David Brooks
Dorothy M. Currin
Jerome and Dora Faulkner
Matthew Frink
Hubert Gooch, Jr.
Patricia Graham
Sue Wooten Grissom
Tony Grissom
Tom Long
Vesta Manning
Eben and Mary Frances McSwain
Marsha J. Nelson
Dale Ramsey
Walter J. Rublein
Robert J. Turner
Virginia L. Wester
Michael White
Keith and Stelfanie Williams
W. T. YanceyA
WARDS
VGCC
SCHOLARSHIP
The Union Bank & Trust Founding Directors Academic Achievement Award was established in March 2015 by the Oxford-based bank to pay tribute to the business and community leaders who founded the bank. Union Bank & Trust Company started in 2006 with locations in Granville County and has since expanded into Franklin, Vance, Person and Wake counties. The bank’s founding directors were Dr. Jodi S. Anderson, James B. Belcher, Thomas M. Combs, Chandler T. Currin, Jr., R. Gene Edmundson, Stanley H. Fox, B. Autry Gentry, Herbert T. Gregory, Jr., F. Wills Hancock, IV, Crawford A. Knott, Creedmoor Mayor Darryl Moss, Robert T. Williford, II, and T. Gray Yancey. Celebrating the creation of the scholarship at the bank’s headquarters in Oxford were, in front, from left: Williford, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, Fox, Edmundson, Betty Lou Gentry, representing her late husband, and Knott; and in back, from left: Hancock, Gregory, Yancey, Combs, Belcher, Currin, and Moss. Dr. Williams is the president of VGCC and a member of the Union Bank board of directors. Fox and Edmundson are former chairmen of the board, while Knott is the current chairman.
PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR
($1250)
ACS
R.B. “Bob” Butler Memorial
John T. Church, Sr.
John T. Church, Sr. Memorial
Nannie Crowder Memorial
Duke Energy
GSK
Glen Raven, Inc.
Patricia P. Graham
Ann Rose Allen/Guild Gift Gallery
at Maria Parham
Leslie Carswell/Guild Gift Gallery
at Maria Parham
Gean Bobbitt/Guild Gift Gallery
at Maria Parham
W. Beverly Tucker, MD/Guild Gift Gallery at Maria Parham
Guild Gift Gallery at Maria Parham
Guild Gift Gallery Volunteers
Robbie Gilliam Hedrick/
Robert Jerome Hedrick
G. Daniel Knight, Jr.
George Wilson and Pattie Alston
Macon/Katharine M. Horner
Guy Thomas and Lelle Courtney
Horner/Guy T. Horner
The Johnson’s Educational Fund
Felix McDaniel Family
John K. Nelms
Mary Ruth Nelms
Harold and Helen Sherman
Leon Turner
VGCC Faculty & Staff
John Weaver
PRESIDENTIAL MERIT
($750)
Air Control, Inc
Linda Aleshire Memorial
Frank and Ruth Askins Nursing
Lucy Royster Brenner
Memorial
Bridgestone Commercial Solutions CareFocus Nursing
Church of the Holy Innocents
Emma Rose Church
John T. Church, Sr.
Marion Lee Johnson Church
Coca-Cola Bottlers’
Foundation
Marshall Young Cooper, Sr.
& Mishew C. Cooper Nursing
Rudolph Corbitt Memorial
Nannie Crowder Memorial
Thurman and Fannie Crumpler
Scouting
Dr. Ben F. Currin
The Farrington Foundation
Ferguson Family Foundation
Friends of Hospice
GSK
Glen Raven, Inc.
Granville County Cattlemen’s
Association
Granville Industrial & Business Club
Betty S. Hicks/Granville Industrial
& Business Club
Margaret L. Gupton and Linwood
M. Gupton Memorial
Talmadge Hamm Memorial
Joseph and Carrie Hamme
Harriet & Henderson Yarns, Inc.
H. Dermont Hedrick Memorial
Vera M. Hedrick Memorial
Hugh White Holt Memorial
Hubbard Family
George W. Jenkins Memorial
Boy Scouts
Grace Hamme Jester
Bignall Speed Jones Memorial
Kayser-Roth Corporation/
Creedmoor Distribution Center
Kittrell Family
Lace Lastics Co., Inc.
Robert A. Leggett Memorial/
Leggett Family
Harriette G. Mast Memorial Margaret West Cousins
Matteson
Eben G. & Mary Frances McSwain
Robert A. Miller
Nelms Family
Marsha J. Nelson
The Oxford Woman’s Club Memorial
The Oxford Woman’s Club Centennial
Helen & Norris Post
Professional Construction Estimators
Association - Triangle Chapter
Rain Park
Revlon
Ella Glover Rowell
John Stovall Royster, Jr. Memorial
Helen Jones Sherman Memorial
Sirchie Finger Print Laboratories
Holly Elizabeth Turner Memorial
Union Bank/Stanley H. Fox
William T. “Billy” Watkins Memorial
Hutson Wester Insurance
ACADEMIC
ACHIEVEMENT
($500)
Lucy West Abbott Memorial
Sam Alford Memorial/
Henderson Lions Club
AMVETS - Vance County
Chapter #730
Hayden C. Bailey Family
Memorial
Bank of America
Jules and Harriet Banzet
The Barnabus Fund
James R. Barnes/
Vance County Unit
N.C. Retired School Personnel
BB&T of Henderson & Oxford
W.B. Beasley Memorial
George B. Blum Memorial/
Middleburg Ruritan Club
Dr. Joseph Alston Boyd, Jr.
Amanda A. “Mandy”
Braswell Memorial
Pauline Neisler Brewer
John Brigham Memorial
Annie R. Bullock Memorial/
City of Henderson
George E. & Estelle H. Bullock
Memorial
Bernard O. Burgess Memorial
Radiography
Burlington Industries
& Georgia-Pacific
R.B. Butler Memorial
Nathan Burwell
Capital Bank
Carolina Sunrock
Minnie Moseley Cawley
Memorial
CertainTeed Corporation
Cecil L. Chacon, Jr. Memorial
Church of the Holy Innocents
John T. Church
John T. Church, Sr./Roses Stores
Martha M. Clark
Brandon S. Coker Memorial
Lucille Couch
Lenwood A. Crabtree/Duke
Energy
Dorothy M. Currin Memorial
Dorothy M. Curring Nursing
Nannie A. Crowder Memorial
Sophia H. Currin Memorial
Thomas B. Currin/Rotary Club
of Oxford
T.J. “Pooky” Currin Memorial
Mr. and Mrs. William A. Delbridge
Smith Doss and Claude Monnier
Eastern Carolina Rabbit Breeders
Association
Jerry Ellington Memorial
Anne Cooke Finch
Stanley H. Fox
Julius M. Frazier Memorial
Friends of Hospice
Matthew Frink
Gate Precast Company
Glen Raven, Inc. Academic
Achievement
Hubert L. Gooch, Sr.
Granville Industrial
& Business Club
John K. Nelms/Granville
Industrial Club
Elie Gut/Ideal Fastener
CorporationA total of 339 scholarships were awarded to students at Vance-Granville Community College during the 2013-2014 academic year through the generosity of donors to the college.
More than 300 scholarships were awarded to students at Vance-Granville Community College during the 2014-2015 academic year through the generosity of donors to the college.
The Virginia L. Wester Academic Achievement Scholarship was endowed by W. Hutson “Hut” Wester, shown at right with Endowment Fund Director Eddie Ferguson, in January 2015 in memory of Wester’s wife, who died the previous January. The new Wester scholarship will be given to students who are planning to transfer to a four-year university and pursue a major related to insurance. A continuing education instructor in insurance at VGCC for several years, Wester has been instrumental in endowing two other scholarships.
Legacy Donors
The following donors have contributed $100,000 or more
to the VGCC Endowment Fund
and Vance-Granville
Community College:
Estate of
Lelia C. Brigham
Estate of
Robert & Anna Butler
Estate of
Nannie Crowder
Estate of
Wilbert A. Edwards
GlaxoSmith Kline
Glen Raven Mills, Inc.
Guild Gift Gallery,
Maria Parham
Leggett Family
VGCC Faculty & Staff
New Scholarships
These new scholarships were endowed during the 2014-2015 academic year
and were named
in honor/memory of:
PRESIDENTIAL
SCHOLAR
($25,000)
Oxford Lodge #103
(Independent Order
of Odd Fellows)
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
($10,000)
Hubert L. Gooch, Jr.
Triangle North
Healthcare
Foundation
Robert J. Turner/Henderson Kiwanis Club
Union Bank & Trust
Founding Directors
Virginia L. Wester
Michael White
Memorial
Talmadge Hamm Memorial
Dr. & Mrs. Roy L. Noblin Memorial
The IAMS Company
Thurston S. “Judge” & Vivian L. Parham
Thomas G. & Mildred K. Taylor
Memorial
John Pearson Harris, Sr. and Jr.
Memorial
Mattie B. Harris
Ethel Jane Rideout Harrison
Memorial
Robert Burnham Harrison, Sr.
Memorial
Robert B. Harrison/
Henderson Kiwanis Club
E. Anne Wortham/Henderson
Business & Professional
Women’s Club
Thelma “Bug” Dempsey/
Henderson Business
& Professional Women’s Club
Carrie Draper/Henderson Business
& Professional Women’s Club
Fitzhugh A. Kesler/Henderson
Business & Professional
Women’s Club
Emily G. Whitten/Henderson Business
& Professional Women’s Club
Henderson Coca-Cola Bottling
Company/Classic Food Services
Robert J. Turner/Henderson Kiwanis Club
Henderson Rotary Club
Henderson Woman’s Club
Founding Members of the Henderson
Police Honor Guards
Irene Hamm Hester Memorial/
Carolina Cooling & Heating, Inc.
George W. Holden, Jr., Accounting
Mike Huffaker
George W. Jenkins Memorial
Boy Scouts
Linda Vele Johnson Memorial
Seby B. Jones and Rufus T. Aiken
James Madison “Jimmy” Joyner Memorial
Mr. and Mrs. C.B. Keller and William
Lee Keller Memorial
Leo Kelly, Jr.
Kerr Lake Area Home Builders
Association/Red Faulkner Memorial
Kerr Lake Area Home Builders
Association/John Franklin
Kerr Lake Area Home Builders
Association/Carl Lawrence
Kerr Lake Board of Realtors
Milton F. Legg, Jr. Memorial
Frank H. Madigan
Vesta Fortson Manning Memorial
Maria Parham Medical Center
Volunteer Services
William J. “Bill” Matthews
Memorial
Fred E. and Ernestine H. Miller
Memorial
Robert J. and Isabel B. Morgan
Memorial
Lou Ann Murphy Parker Basic Skills
Diane W. Nethercutt Nursing
Memorial
Newton Instrument Co., Inc.
Walter L. Newton
John K. Nelms/Newton
Nortel
Novozymes North America, Inc.
Oxford-Henderson Alumnae Chapter
of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Oxford Junior Woman’s Club
Oxford Lions Club
Mr. and Mrs. B.A. Parker
William D. Payne
W.D. Payne/Henderson High School Class of 1938
W.D. Payne/Henderson High School
Class of 1939
W.D. Payne/Vance County Unit
NC Retired School Personnel
Scott Parker Peace Memorial
and Adna B. Pierce Memorial
Henry S. Peoples/Chapter #67,
Disabled American Veterans
Julian and Elsie Gray Pernell
PNC Bank
Mary Potter High School
Myrtle Jane Pruitt Memorial
PSNC Energy
Rain Park
Samir Harith “Reef” Abdul Rasheed Memorial
Buggana Subba Reddy Memorial
Putlur S. Devi Reddy Memorial
Putlur Jayarama Reddy Memorial
Steven Allen and Thomas “Tommee” Wayne Reese Memorial
Revlon
Rowan-Walters Nursing
Robin Rowland Memorial
Royster, Cross & Hensley, LLP
Walter J. Rublein Memorial
Clemens Oscar Seifert/
Coca-Cola Bottling Company
of Henderson
Mary Helen Harris Shields Memorial
Hettie Currin Skipper Memorial Nursing
South Granville Rotary Club
SunTrust Bank
Ben and Cornelia Terry
Rachel P. Thomas
Bessie Nelson Trado Memorial/
First United Methodist Church
Triangle Home Health Care, Inc.
Triangle North Healthcare Foundation
Grady W. Tunstall
Universal Leaf North America, US
Frank Tedder Memorial/
J.P. Taylor Employees/
Universal Leaf
Vance County Association
of Educational Office
Professionals
Vance Construction Company
Vance County Farm Bureau
Veterans of Foreign Wars/
Hill Cooper Post #2417, Inc. Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans
of Foreign Wars, Hill Cooper
Auxiliary Post #2417, Inc.
Warrenton Rotary Club
Marvin H. Baugh/Warrenton
Rotary Club
S.M. Watkins, Sr. Memorial
Morris and Jean West Memorial
Virginia L. Wester
Otha Wilkins Memorial
Edward L. Williams Memorial
Pratt and Gwendolyn Winston
Kate M. Wood Memorial
ANNUAL
SCHOLARSHIPS
Duke Energy
GSK
Lake Gaston Computer Club
Lloyd Gabriel Memorial/
Air Control, Inc.
Rain Park
Dale Ramesy Music Scholar
STEM Science Camp
State Employees Credit Union
Foundation
State Employees Credit Union/
Continuing Education
J.P. Taylor/Universal Leaf
Vance-Granville Community
College Music
Wake Electric/
Touchstone Energy
Kathryn Bentley Watson
41VANGUARD V ISION
As of January 2014
and for the next five
years, Vance-Granville
Community College is
“Living the Vision.”
The Vision is a strategic
plan developed with input
from Vance-Granville’s
students, employees and
the broader community
served by the college.
Shortly after taking the
reins as VGCC’s president
in 2012, Dr. Stelfanie
Williams pulled together
a team of college faculty
and staff to develop
the framework for a
strategic plan to carry the
college through its 50th
anniversary in 2019.
The results were the
Mission Statement and
Vision Statement that
guide the college in its
focus and activities as well
as nine core Values and 20
specific Goals built around
five overarching areas of
focus.
The college’s Board of
Trustees officially adopted
the Vanguard Vision
on June 15, 2013, and
implementation of the
strategic plan began in
January 2014.
•
THE COLLEGE’S
STRATEGIC PLAN
FOR 2014-2019
V O UR M ISSION
Vance-Granville
Community College
educates, inspires, and supports
a diverse community of learners
to achieve professional
and personal success.
O UR V ISION
In partnership
with our community,
Vance-Granville
Community College will lead
the economic development
of our region,
be nationally-recognized
for educational excellence, and
improve our world
through stewardship
and sustainability.
ISION
O URG OALS
EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE
FROM ACCESS TO SUCCESS
1.1 Increase student achievement through student-centered teaching.
1.2 Increase student completion through effective academic advising.
1.3 Facilitate college growth.
1.4 Cultivate a college-wide culture of support for a diverse communi-ty
of learners.
1.5 Provide resources and experiences to empower students and pre-pare
them for work or higher education.
AN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
OF QUALITY, COOPERATION & ENGAGEMENT
2.1 Recruit and hire exceptional employees.
2.2 Retain qualified employees.
2.3 Foster participation in meaningful professional development
opportunities.
2.4 Enhance open communication.
2.5 Develop a campus community valuing health, safety, and quality
of life opportunities.
A LEARNING COMMUNITY
OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
3.1 Develop a culture that prioritizes individualized service to stu-dents.
3.2 Develop a culture of continuous quality improvement and best
practices.
3.3 Institute leadership development that supports and empowers all
employees.
ONE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE
4.1 Enhance support services.
4.2 Foster student and employee engagement in college life.
4.3 Partner with community organizations to support the college
mission.
4.4 Improve, maintain, and utilize adequate technology.
INSTITUTIONAL STEWARDSHIP: SECURING
AND SUSTAINING OUR RESOURCES
5.1 Secure new and innovative resources to support institutional goals.
5.2 Implement risk assessment and management at the college.
5.3 Advance environmentally-friendly practices at the college.
O URV ALUES
EXCELLENCE
We value working to our full potential and
demonstrating quality at all levels by meeting
or exceeding our goals and establishing high
expectations for achievement by everyone
through continuous improvement.
TEACHING
We value rigorous, quality instruction
that maximizes student success through
focused and purposeful student support and
activities.
COMMUNICATION
We value decision making through broad-based,
respectful team work and effective
dialogue.
RESPECT
We value professional working relationships
and exceptional service for our faculty, staff,
students, and community.
ACCESS
We value keeping our services accessible to
our communities through a welcoming and
supportive environment for all.
DIVERSITY
We value the unique attributes and
contributions of the members who enrich
our college and its community.
INNOVATION
We value innovation and creativity through
our leadership in learning, technology, and
community partnerships.
COMMUNITY
We value positive and supportive
relationships among the faculty, staff,
students, and community of our service area.
SUSTAINABILITY
We value prudent stewardship of our
resources and implementation of best
practices in policies and operations that
are ecologically, socially, and economically
sustainable.
•
1
2
3
4
5
“Change, growth and improvement are essential as we realize
this new Vanguard Vision. In charting this course for the next five
years, we will continue to engage our college community and our
broader four-county service area as we shape a brighter and more
dynamic future for our beloved community college.”
­—
DR. STELFANIE WILLIAMS, VGCC President
LIKE US!
facebook.com
/vancegranville
FOLLOW US!
twitter.com
/vancegranville
WATCH US!
youtube.com
/vancegranvillecc
VIEW PICS!
instagram.com
/vancegranvillecc
DOWNLOAD!
flickr.com
/vancegranvillecc
Educating. Inspiring. Supporting.
Main Campus South Campus
200 Community College Road 1547 S. Campus Drive
P.O. Box 917 P.O. Box 39
Henderson NC 27536 Creedmoor NC 27522
(252) 492-2061 (919) 528-4737
Franklin Campus Warren Campus 8100 NC 56 Highway 210 West Ridgeway Street
P.O. Box 777 P.O. Box 207
Louisburg NC 27549 Warrenton NC 27589
(919) 496-1567 (252) 257-1900
www.VGCC.edu • studentsuccess@vgcc.edu
VGCC’s website — www.vgcc.edu — is optimized for smartphones and tablets.
VANCE-G RANVILLE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
DOWNLOAD
OUR APP
Vance-Granville Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees. Contact
the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Vance-Granville
Community College. Vance-Granville Community College is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The college serves all students regardless of race,
creed, color, age, sex, national or disabling conditions. Vance-Granville Community College is a Tobacco-Free College.

2014-2015
PRESIDENT’S REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY
V ISION THE
VANCE-G RANVILLE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
L IVING
During the past year, Vance-Granville Community College celebrated 45 years of service to students and our region. We were inspired not only by how much this institution has grown and developed over the years, but also by the good news happening all around us in the present. With a sense of excitement and hope for the future, Vance-Granville launched the “Vanguard Vision” strategic plan in early 2014. That meant that 2014-2015 was the first full year in which our faculty, staff and students set out to “live” that vision every day. The early results of the implementation of the Vanguard Vision have been extremely promising.
We have seized new opportunities to educate, inspire and support our diverse community of learners. We have earned recognition at the state and national levels. And we have continued a remarkable streak of success in securing new resources, in the form of grants and community support, including some of the largest gifts from individuals in VGCC history and another record-breaking Golf Tournament.
Most importantly, we capped off a banner year with the largest graduating class in the history of our college. Preparing those graduates to achieve professional and personal success is at the heart of our mission. As Vanguards for life, our alumni make invaluable contributions in our communities and truly represent the realization of the Vanguard Vision. Because of their achievements, along with the excellence consistently demonstrated by our faculty, staff and partners, I am proud to present this report of the outstanding 2014-2015 year at VGCC.
A MESSAGE
TO THE COMMUNITY
FROM THE PRESIDENT
DR. STELFANIE WILLIAMS
President
Vance-Granville Community College
L IVING
V ISION
THEBoard
of Trustees
2014-2015
Deborah F. Brown
Chair
Stanley H. Fox
Vice Chair
Michele Eaves Burgess
Dwight Frazier
L. Opie Frazier, Jr.
Barbara Cates Harris
N. Annette P. Myers
Abdul Sm Rasheed
Donald C. Seifert, Sr.
Sara C. Wester
Dr. Doris Terry Williams
Danny W. Wright
Bertadean W. Baker
Warren County Liaison
John K. Nelms
Trustee Emeritus
Theresa Chiplis
Student Government Association
President
Vance-Granville Community College was recognized in 2015 by BestColleges.com as one of the top five two-year colleges in North Carolina, and for offering one of the most affordable online associate degree programs in the country.
VGCC came in fifth on the new list, in which BestColleges.com ranked the top 25 two-year and top 25 four-year schools in North Carolina. BestColleges.com also reviewed over 500 schools across the United States that offer associate degree programs online for their affordability, and VGCC was ranked at number 11.
“Our higher education experts reviewed nearly 90 two-year schools in the Tarheel State, and after taking into account key performance indicators such as retention, graduation and loan default rates, Vance-Granville Community College quickly rose to the top,” said Diana Walters, associate director of communications for BestColleges.com.
Factors such as tuition, loan origination, loan default rates and flexibility helped VGCC earn the ranking of 11th in the nation for online associate degree programs, representatives of
BestColleges.com added.
A Message from our Board Chair
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to celebrate another incredibly successful year at Vance-Granville Community College! Under the leadership of Dr. Williams, our college has been infused with the new energy and focus of the Vanguard Vision. This strategic plan is not simply a set of inspirational words. Rather, its goals and values serve to guide everything this fine institution does. The Vanguard Vision comes to life each day in the excellent work of our administration, faculty, staff and students.
Our communities have embraced this vision and are helping to make it a reality. We are so grateful for the support of citizens, businesses and other partners in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties who recognize the importance of the education and training provided by VGCC. The Vanguard Vision emphasizes community partnerships and the college’s leadership role in economic development. We invite your participation as we work together to promote the success of our students and our region as a whole.
VGCC tops among colleges in NC, USA
Deborah Brown
VGCC Board of Trustees ChairL EGACY
G IVING
OF
LELIA BRIGHAM
Vance-Granville Community College has enjoyed its most successful year in fundraising and grants, with more than $2.2 million in contributions and nearly $1.3 million in grant funding.
“We are so grateful to the community we serve for this incredible generosity,” said VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams. “These individuals, organizations and businesses that have given to the college have demonstrated their passion for helping our students achieve success.”
Many of the financial successes realized in the 2014-2015 academic year are the result of strategies identified in the college’s five-year Vanguard Vision master plan, said Dr. Williams.
“As one of the goals of our Vanguard Vision, a strategic plan adopted for 2014-2019, the staff and faculty of Vance-Granville have focused on institutional stewardship,” said Dr. Williams.
“We identified the need for showing good stewardship by securing and sustaining our resources. Our employees have responded by securing new and innovative resources as evidenced by the grants and many of the new donations we’ve received.”
Of the $636,845 received by the college’s Endowment Fund in 2014-2015, $465,686 was for new scholarships that have already been fully funded, $100,318 from donors participating in the annual golf tournament, $50,866 in additional gifts to existing funded scholarships, $12,405 to named scholarships not yet fully funded, and $7,570 to future scholarships.
Two major gifts announced during the 2014-2015 academic year came from the estates of a decorated World War II fighter pilot and a long-time continuing education art instructor.
In January, Dr. Williams announced a $1.6 million bequest to the college from the estate of Wilbert Allen “Bill” Edwards. A Vance County native who moved to Granville County, Edwards died in October 2001, and his wife died in August 2013. News of the donation to the college came with the settling of the estate. Edwards’ gift is the second largest in the history of the college.
WILBERT & FANNIE EDWARDSIn the photo above, VGCC’s President Dr. Stelfanie Williams announces a fund-raising record $100,318 for the 31st annual Endowment Fund Golf Tournament, presented by Oxford-based Union Bank, as she is assisted by Endowment Fund specialist Kay Currin, left, and director Eddie Ferguson, right. At right, Dr. Williams and Ferguson are joined by Thomas M. Combs, president and chief executive officer of Union Bank, at the announcement of the bank as the tournament’s first-ever presenting sponsor.
Supporting students to achieve professional and personal success
In May, the announcement followed of $400,000 left to the Endowment Fund by the estate of Lelia Brigham, with additional assets pending.
A continuing education instructor since the earliest days of the college, in the fall of 1969, Brigham had an association with Vance-Granville as an instructor longer than anyone else. She died in December 2014.
In addition to the funds from her estate, Brigham had been responsible for endowing six Academic Achievement Scholarships since December 2001.
The college’s popular golf tournament skyrocketed to new levels of financial support in May 2015. With the first-ever corporate presenting sponsor, the 31st annual Endowment Fund Golf Tournament, presented by Oxford-based Union Bank, generated $100,318 to help fund scholarships for deserving students and to support the mission of the college. The amount was nearly double the previous year’s record of $51,000.
“Our Endowment Fund director, Eddie Ferguson, and endowment specialist, Kay Currin, are commended for their efforts, along with the work of our Endowment Fund Board of Directors,” said Dr. Williams.
“What is most pleasing is the support from such a variety of donors, some of them long-time contributors and new friends who wanted to help our students. These supporters understand the impact of the college on the success of this region we serve.”
Six new scholarships were fully endowed, four additional scholarships were started, and two previously-established scholarships became fully endowed during the year. (See Pages 36-37 for more details.)
Among other fund-raising efforts, an annual campaign is held each fall for Vance-Granville employees. VGCC’s faculty and staff contributed $21,441 to the Endowment Fund in 2014.
“Our mission is to educate, inspire and support a diverse community of learners,” Dr. Williams said. “With the incredible support of a caring community joining us in this effort, we are positioning our students to achieve the professional and personal success they need to attain a greater quality of life.”
5VGCC benefits from 2nd year of success in grant funding
A second year of significant grant funding has positioned Vance-Granville Community College to take its focus on training the workforce to a higher level.
The following four grants were the largest awarded for the year:
An Education & Workforce Innovation Grant of $800,000 was awarded by the North Carolina Education and Workforce Innovation Commission to support the Manufacturing Skills Training Alliance.
The workforce training partnership involves VGCC and the Career and Technical Education high school programs from Vance County Schools, Granville County Schools, Franklin County Schools and Warren County Schools.
Duke Energy awarded the college a grant of $237,757 to continue equipping the college’s Advanced Manufacturing Skills Center with state-of-the-art, industrial-grade training equipment.
An NCWorks Job-Driven Initiative Grant awarded to VGCC in partnership with the Kerr-Tar Workforce Development Board totaled $147,000. VGCC is one of 12 community colleges across the state selected to provide training services to dislocated workers.
The NCWorks Career Pathways Grant of $70,000 was awarded to VGCC to plan and implement work-based learning opportunities.
Five other smaller grants combined to bring the college $1,292,197 in grant funding for the academic year. Combined with $2,643,722 in 2013-2014, grants for the college over the past year totaled nearly $4 million.
“I applaud our outstanding faculty and staff, who have played leading roles in seeking out these grants and helping to obtain new funding,” said Vance-Granville President Dr. Williams.
“They give of their own resources through our on-campus drive and the golf tournament, but they work hard also to secure these innovative resources.”
The Granville County Chamber of Commerce held a ceremonial ribbon-cutting and open house to celebrate the new Mechatronics lab on VGCC’s South Campus.
Mechatronics
showcases community partnerships
6In the photograph at left, VGCC Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson, Director of Customized Training Sara Lloyd, Applied Technologies department chair Wesley Williams and President Dr. Stelfanie Williams accept a symbolic check for $237,757 representing a new grant from Duke Energy District Manager Tanya Evans, equipping VGCC’s Advanced Manufacturing Skills Center with state-of-the-art, industrial-grade training equipment. Above, VGCC Mechatronics Engineering Technology program head Keith Shearon, right, and Roger Giddens, a consultant from Moultrie Technical College in Georgia, examine the specifications on new equipment in VGCC’s Mechatronics Lab. The Fanuc robot (featuring a bright yellow arm) and SMC electro-pneumatic manufacturing training system are used by students to troubleshoot automation system problems.
Improving our world through stewardship
Area residents and community leaders took a closer look at the new Mechatronics Engineering Technology program, which provides training for jobs in advanced manufacturing.
The event was the highlight of the Chamber’s “Sunrise Forum” meeting, held Nov. 14, in partnership with VGCC and the Granville County Schools Career and Technical Education Advisory Council.
“Today’s event represents community partnerships,” Dr. Stelfanie Williams, VGCC’s president, said. “We are delighted to work together with the Chamber, elected officials, public schools, economic development agencies and local businesses to prepare our students for careers and to grow our economy.”
Keith Shearon, Mechatronics Engineering Technology program head, said his curriculum “blends the traditionally separate fields of mechanical, computer and electronic engineering to train a ‘super-technician’ who has skills in many different facets of manufacturing.”
He detailed the college’s two-year degree program and the certificate programs that are in development. Shearon also encouraged local employers to provide VGCC with feedback to make sure that the college’s education and training programs meet their needs for skilled employees.L
G RADUATES
OF
ARGEST
C
LASS
Criminal Justice grad comes home to offer encouragement
Vance-Granville Community College’s 46th commencement exercises on May 15, 2015, made history in more ways than one.
Most notably, the Class of 2015 was the largest in the history of VGCC, with approximately 550 graduates receiving degrees and diplomas. The record-breaking size of the graduating class corresponded with an equally huge throng of family members, friends and other guests in attendance to watch the ceremony, held at the gazebo by the lake on the college’s Main Campus.
Also making history was the commencement speaker. Dr. Maurice Godwin of Fayetteville, shown at left, a VGCC Criminal Justice graduate from the Class of 1985, became the first alumnus of the college to return to address graduates of curriculum programs.
“I am one of you,” Godwin said to the class. “As a graduate of VGCC, I am thrilled to come home and speak to all of these successful graduates.” His alma mater “is and will always be home to me,” he added. “There’s no doubt about it that I am standing here today because of the people at Vance-Granville, and because of the community atmosphere here.”
Godwin recalled that the small classes and personal assistance he received from instructors at VGCC allowed him to succeed. “I would have been lost if I had gone first to a four-year school, and I don’t know that I would have made it,” he said. “VGCC completely changed my life. The late Thomas Long, formerly the department head of Criminal Justice for 20 years, not only changed my life but was like a father figure to me.”
After Godwin graduated with a two-year degree from VGCC, he earned his bachelor’s degree at Trevecca Nazarene University, a master’s degree in Criminology at Indiana State University, and a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Liverpool. Today, as president of Godwin Trial & Forensic Consultancy, Inc., he consults on crime scene assessment, developing psychological and geographical profiles. He is also an author and professor.
Basic Skills graduate
accomplishes goals
‘despite mountain’
As Vance-Granville’s Adult Basic Skills students gathered for annual graduation exercises in early May 2015, Heather Clopton of Henderson recalled hearing about Basic Skills Plus at VGCC, which was new at the time and would allow her to take High School Equivalency classes at the same time as the Nurse Aide I program.
“I have always wanted to study nursing, so this was a perfect opportunity,” she said. Heather’s mother supported her efforts.
“Two days after I started the CNA class, my mother had a heart attack,” Heather said. “She passed away the next day.”
“I knew that all I wanted to do from then on was to make her proud of me. Going to school and becoming a nurse was what she wanted for me, because she knew that’s what I wanted.”
Heather found it difficult to continue her studies while taking on new responsibilities around the house, including helping care for her younger siblings. She was able to switch to taking HSE preparatory classes online through VGCC, making her schedule more manageable. She went on to complete both programs.
“When I finished, I knew then how proud I had made everyone, but also knew that if I could accomplish this, anyone can,” Heather said. “Nothing feels better than knowing you have accomplished one of your goals despite the mountain you had to climb to get there.”
Heather has gone on to enroll in curriculum classes at VGCC with a goal of becoming a pediatric nurse.VGCC alumnus urges grads
to become great leaders
Wellington R. Scott, Sr., of Raleigh, a retired lieutenant colonel and deputy commander of the North Carolina Highway Patrol, was the principal commencement speaker as VGCC held commencement exercises honoring graduates of the college’s Adult Basic Skills programs in May 2015.
Scott was a College Transfer student at VGCC in the early 1980s and even met his future wife in one of his classes.
“This school set the tone for my professional career,” Scott said. “I had great instructors who made me want to learn. They believed in my abilities, they influenced me and allowed me to develop in ways that gave me an opportunity to be very productive in my professional life.”
To the graduates, he offered lessons on leadership. “All of you have the power to be great influencers and leaders,” he said. “You have the potential to lead within the scope of your responsibility or influence. You can make a difference in the world in which you live.”
State Bar recognition
The Paralegal Technology program at Vance-Granville has been designated as a “Qualified Paralegal Studies Program” by the North Carolina State Bar.
The State Bar’s Board of Paralegal Certification approved the VGCC program for this recognition at a meeting in February 2015, but the status is considered to be retroactively effective from December 2014. The qualification lasts for five years.
The State Bar is the agency responsible for regulating the practice of law, including the proper utilization of paralegals, throughout North Carolina.
“This designation will help our graduates achieve personal and professional success,” said Antoinette C. Dickens, the Paralegal Technology program head/instructor for VGCC.
National accreditation
for Human Services Tech
VGCC’s Human Services Technology program was awarded accreditation by the Council for Standards in Human Service Education for the first time.
At its May 2015 meeting, the CSHSE governing board voted to accredit the program for an initial period of five years.
VGCC’s associate degree program becomes only the third in North Carolina to be accredited by the organization
From left, VGCC South Campus Dean Cecilia Wheeler, HST program head Tracy Wallace and Dean of Health Sciences Angela Thomas celebrate the achievement.
Megan N. Finch of Louisburg, center, a May 2015 graduate of the Paralegal Technology program at VGCC, co-authored a “Practitioner’s Handbook for Civil Superior Court,” the first of its kind in the state. The lead author on the document was Ella S. Wrenn, right, Trial Court coordinator for the Ninth Judicial District, the supervisor for Finch’s internship through the college’s Work-Based Learning program under Program Head Antoinette C. Dickens, left.
100
CLASSES
Sixteen cadets graduated on May 12 from the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program at VGCC. After passing the state certification exam, all are authorized to work in any law enforcement agency in North Carolina. It was the 100th class of graduates trained by Vance-Granville.
VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams thanked the many representatives of local and state law enforcement agencies in attendance for partnering with the college.
“Without your sponsorship of students, providing instructors to teach courses, helping us to continually develop the curriculum, and through the countless other ways that you show your commitment, this program would not be possible,” the president said.
She congratulated the cadets on their achievements: “Protect and serve in a way that reflects your personal integrity, the integrity of this fine college and the integrity of the profession of law enforcement.”
In addition to the traditional awards and recognitions for graduates, the 100th milestone also featured a slide show featuring photos of previous classes during a reception following the ceremony.
These men and women pictured above comprise the 100th graduating class of Vance-Granville Community College’s Basic Law Enforcement Training program.The BLET program reached the milestone in May 2015 with a ceremony in the college’s Civic Center. Retired Henderson Police Chief Melvin G. Smith, shown at left in the photo below, was honored for 40 years of dedicated service as a VGCC law enforcement training instructor, including several
years as the program’s coordinator. Presenting the honor was Andrea Ferguson, VGCC’s coordinator of law enforcement training.
Milestone celebrates dedication to public service
Educating learners to achieve personal and professional success
11VGCC, A&T sign nursing initiative
Vance-Granville Community College has stepped up its efforts to help nursing students earn bachelor’s degrees through an initiative with North Carolina A&T State University and two other community colleges.
On Monday, June 1, 2015, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, VGCC’s president, joined the chancellor of A&T and the presidents of Guilford Technical and Davidson County community colleges at a ceremony in Greensboro to launch the North Carolina Piedmont “Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses” (RIBN) initiative.
Beginning with the fall 2016 semester, new nursing students will be able to apply simultaneously to both A&T and to VGCC, or to one of the other community colleges. Up to 30 students a year will be admitted into the co-admission/continual enrollment program.
“Vance-Granville is very pleased to be a part of this RIBN partnership,” said Dr. Williams, as the college representatives participated in the signing ceremony, held in A&T’s Alumni Event Center. “This is another great example of our community colleges and universities working together, and we are very proud to partner with North Carolina A&T State University on such a great collaborative opportunity for our future nurses.”
“We all win with this initiative,” Dr. Harold L. Martin, the chancellor of A&T, said.
The initiative is one of nine such partnerships that have been launched in North Carolina since 2008 under the direction of the Foundation for Nursing Excellence to increase the educational preparation of North Carolina’s nursing workforce.
VGCC and Chamberlain College of Nursing formed a partnership in July 2014 that will help graduates of VGCC’s Associate Degree Nursing program transition to complete a bachelor’s degree in Nursing through distance education. June Dunham, a healthcare development specialist from Chamberlain, visited VGCC’s Main Campus earlier in the year to inform students about the new partnership. Through Chamberlain’s “RN to BSN” degree option, a Registered Nurse who graduated from VGCC will be able to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) online within as few as three semesters.
12Vance-Granville chosen to share Best Practices
for student success at statewide summit
Closer alignment between the needs of employers and the training offered at community colleges was the topic of a meeting hosted by Vance-Granville.
Presidents and other officials from Durham Technical Community College and Piedmont Community College joined their VGCC colleagues, along with business, industry and economic development leaders, in August 2014 at a regional “Align4NCWorks” Learning Summit in the VGCC Civic Center.
Approximately 75 people attended, among them N.C. Rep. W. A. “Winkie” Wilkins of Roxboro and two members of the State Board of Community Colleges, Sam Powell and James Woody.
The event was the twelfth of 22 planned summits that the N.C. Community College System organized across the state in 2014. Each one involved several of the 58 North Carolina community colleges and local workforce partners discussing collaborative workforce development projects. “Align4NCWorks” is the name for the community college system’s current strategic planning initiative.
Dr. Scott Ralls, the president of the system, noted that workforce development is “not new for North Carolina community colleges; in fact, that is how we started.” The community colleges are designated by state law as “the primary lead agency for delivering workforce development training.” The purpose of the summit, Ralls said, was “to learn from great innovations and partnerships” at the local level, and to learn about challenges and barriers that need to be overcome.
VGCC hosts regional
summit on workforce
development
Educating a diverse community of learners
Officials from VGCC offered tips to their colleagues from across the state at the inaugural N.C. Community Colleges Performance Partnership Summit, held at the Embassy Suites in Cary in July 2015. The college was asked to present after being recognized as a leader in preparing students to succeed on certification tests.
The North Carolina Community College System named Vance-Granville a “mentor college” when it comes to best practices in passing rates on various licensure exams that the state requires students to take prior to entering their profession.
N.C. Community College System President Dr. Scott Ralls, left, listens as VGCC Endowment director Eddie Ferguson answers a question during the Align4NCWorks Summit in the Civic Center.Vance-Granville Community College named student Geoffrey Arnott of Oxford as its recipient of the North Carolina Community College System’s Academic Excellence Award for 2015.
One student from each of the 58 colleges in the state system is honored with the award each year. Arnott was recognized at Commencement in May, when he also graduated with an Associate in Science degree.
Arnott transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall of 2015.
He was home-schooled by his parents through high school. “I was given an excellent education by my parents, but I had never attended a class with more than a few students,” he recalled. “I had no idea what to expect from college.”
He was “both thrilled and terrified” by the possibilities and challenges that would await him in the future. As Arnott entered his sophomore year of high school, he registered for a single class at VGCC to see what college would be like. “I held my breath and was captivated,” Arnott said. “That class challenged me, but at the same time motivated me to offer my best work.
“Every class I have taken at VGCC since has had the same ability to stimulate me and make me grow in ways I never anticipated.”
Arnott enrolled full-time at VGCC after high school and continued to excel. He was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, served as a tutor through the Academic Skills Center and made the Dean’s List. During the 2014-2015 year, he also served as a VGCC ambassador.
“Each of these opportunities has given me the skills and tools I will need as a leader, but more importantly, they have taught me to treasure and honor the community with which I am blessed,” Arnott said. “That is a lesson I plan to carry with me always.”
After graduating from VGCC, Arnott planned to transfer to a four-year university to study public health and minor in sociology.
Arnott worked at Oxford Veterinary Hospital throughout his time as a student. He was also an assistant instructor at the former Cornerstone Martial Arts School until 2014.
“Geoffrey has been an outstanding student and leader on campus, and we are proud to recognize him among the top students in North Carolina,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC.
“He is an excellent representative of Vance-Granville, and with the education, inspiration and support he has received here, we know he’s on his way to success at the university level and in his future career.”
R EGOGNIZING
E
XCELLENCE
“Each of these opportunities has given me the skills and tools I will need as a leader, but more importantly, they have taught me to treasure and honor the community with which I am blessed.”
GEOFFREY ARNOTT
College Transfer Graduate
Academic Award for Arnott
In recognition of excellence
15Vance-Granville Community College nominated John T. Kelly III of Durham, a student in the college’s Radiography program, shown above, for the North Carolina Community College System’s Dallas Herring Achievement Award in early 2015.
The system established the award in 2010 to honor the longtime State Board of Education chairman, one of the state’s earliest advocates of community colleges. Each year, the award recognizes a current or former community college student who best embodies Dr. Herring’s philosophy of “taking people where they are and carrying them as far as they can go.” In Kelly’s case, VGCC took him from being a hopeful student with big goals to obtaining a degree that allows him to pursue a career he has always wanted.
Kelly graduated from the VGCC Radiography program in May, bringing to a conclusion a difficult process of determining his career path. A native of Sanford, Kelly earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology in 1993 at UNC-Greensboro. He quickly realized that the degree, by itself, was not going to help him reach his career goals. Kelly became a truck driver and made a good salary, but he was never truly happy. “I realized that I wanted to return to my biology roots, but I felt that what I needed was to learn a trade, to gain skills in a medical specialty,” he said. After much soul-searching, research, reading and support from people at VGCC, Radiography “tugged” at him.
Over the course of three years, Kelly prepared financially so that he could go back to school and eventually was accepted into the Radiography program. “While this process of going back to school has been tough on the family, the end result will be more than worth all the sacrifice,” Kelly said.
Vance-Granville Community College nominated Adam G. Rooker of Norlina, a student in the Criminal Justice Technology program, for the North Carolina Community College System’s Governor Robert W. Scott Student Leadership Award.
The award was established in 2004 in honor of Scott, who served as Governor of North Carolina from 1969-1973, and as President of the N.C. Community College System from 1983-1995. Each year, the N.C. Association of Community College Presidents bestows the honor on one community college student in recognition of his or her academic and leadership achievements.
Rooker, pictured below, grew up in Wise and attended Norlina Christian School, serving as chaplain and president of his class. He graduated from high school in 2013, and later that year, he enrolled at VGCC. A full-time student, Rooker also works in the family business, Grape Hill Farm. “I have been helping out on the farm for as long I can remember, but for the past eight years, I have been managing the family’s produce stand,” Rooker said.
Rooker became a leader on campus at VGCC in 2014 when he was selected as an Ambassador.
Outside of VGCC he takes on leadership roles at his church and with Rebuilding Hope, a ministry that repairs and rebuilds houses.
Rooker
nominee for Scott Award
VGCC selects Kelly
for Herring Award
“I feel that I am setting a great example for our daughter, showing her that hard work is necessary and it is worth the hard work when there is something valuable at the end.”
JOHN KELLY
Radiography
GraduateThe achievements of one family from Warren County provide a quick glimpse at the impact of Vance-Granville Community College over the past 45 years. Three generations have used their VGCC education as a springboard to further academic and career success.
Hilda Cordell of Warrenton started this family tradition by enrolling at VGCC to study early childhood education. For part of the time she was a student, she also brought along her daughter, Katina, who attended the child day care center on campus. Later, Cordell would become a teacher at that center, and she would graduate from VGCC with an associate degree.
Katina D. Harris grew up and returned to VGCC as a student, and served as president of the Student Government Association. At first planning to complete a four-year business degree, Harris unexpectedly fell in love with the subject of Psychology in the College Transfer program. She graduated from VGCC with an Associate in Arts degree in 2012 and transferred to North Carolina Central University to continue studying Psychology.
Harris graduated in 2014 with numerous honors, including an Award of Excellence for Undergraduate Research. She also served on the Transfer Advisory Board at NCCU.
“I am grateful for the robust instruction I received from my instructors at VGCC,” Harris said. “The courses were very challenging, which successfully prepared me to compete as an undergraduate. It was often stated by professors and staff at NCCU that they loved transfer students, because transfer students were more mature and ready for higher education.”
Now, Harris is in her third semester of the Clinical Adolescent Psychology Ph.D. program at Prairie View A&M University in Texas. “VGCC’s transfer program gave me important fundamentals that help me in my graduate courses today,” Harris said. She noted that she still uses the lessons she learned not only in VGCC Psychology courses but also in English and Science.
Her daughter, Khadijah Tucker, became a VGCC student at an early age, as a member of the very first graduating class of Warren Early College High School. She went on to transfer to UNC-Greensboro, majoring in Sociology with a concentration in Criminology and minoring in American Sign Language. Tucker credits VGCC with helping her mature and prepare for the demands of a four-year university.
The woman who started it all, Hilda Cordell, has continued her own education. She completed a bachelor’s in Child Development at Walden University, and is currently pursuing a dual master’s degree in Christian Education and Theology at Dallas Baptist University.VGCC — A GatewayFor Three Generations
From left, Khadijah Tucker, Hilda Cordell and Katina Harris, in a photo taken at a going-away party for Harris as she left for graduate school.
Inspiring a diverse community of learners
17Vance-Granville Community College held a graduation ceremony in May 2015 to honor faculty and staff members who completed the inaugural “Vanguard Leadership Institute.”
The graduates were Dr. Kambiz Tahmaseb (Biology Instructor) of Durham; Clint Alston (Distance Education Software Specialist) of Henderson; Cathy Davis (Counselor) of Hillsborough; Elizabeth André (Nursing Instructor) of Virgilina, Va.; Anna Seaman (Nursing Instructor) of Manson; Glynnis Wilson (Financial Aid Assistant) of Norlina; Kyle Burwell (Human Resources Development Coordinator) and Benny Overton (Economics Instructor), both of Oxford; Derrick Cameron (Business Administration Instructor) of Raleigh; and Marque Debnam (Paralegal Technology Instructor) of Youngsville.
The purpose of the program, coordinated by VGCC Director of Leadership & Professional Development Jeffrey Allen, was to empower employees to be innovative leaders in their current positions at the college.
Participants completed a months-long leadership development program designed to provide opportunities for professional growth.
They also worked together to develop and implement a group project that would benefit the entire college.
Vance-Granville gets
‘Happy’ on YouTube
More than 350 students, faculty and staff. Four campuses. One college. — Are you as “Happy” as the Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards?
VGCC had unprecedented social media success with a video tribute to the Oscar-nominated song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, produced in 2014 by the VGCC Communications and Information Technology departments.
Celebrating the college’s diverse community of learners, the video was viewed throughout the year by nearly 5,000 people on YouTube ­— youtube.com/VanceGranvilleCC — and topped 11,000 views on the college’s Facebook page.
Radiography student
from VGCC selected
for leadership program
Nicholas L. Kemp of Franklinton, a Radiography student at Vance-Granville, shown at right in the photo, is among 90 radiologic science students from around the country who were chosen to participate in the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) 2015 Student Leadership Development Program.
Kemp is one of two North Carolina students who were accepted into the program, and the only one from a North Carolina community college. He is also the first student ever selected from VGCC.
First ‘Vanguard Leadership Institute’ honored
Outstanding Ambassadors
Vance-Granville Community College selected 13 students to serve as ambassadors for 2014-2015.
Ambassadors represent the college at special campus and community functions, among other duties.
Serving the academic year were, in front, from left: Ambrianna Winston, Sherly Gerardo, Adam Rooker, Theresa Chiplis, Dianna DeWeese, Joy Herndon and Daniel Davis; in back, from left: Cassie Harris, Joseph Richardson, Geoffrey Arnott, Shane O’Malley, Kathy Conant and Jonathan Herndon.
SGA students lead the way
Representatives for Vance-Granville’s Student Government Association were elected for 2014-2015 to promote the general welfare of the college in a democratic fashion and facilitate communication among the student body, the faculty and the administration.
SGA officers for 2014-2015 included, seated, from left, Secretary Imani Burwell, President Theresa Chiplis and Treasurer Cheryl Reddrick; and standing, from left, Vice President Joseph Richardson and Parliamentarian Joe Ahrens. The representatives were chosen both by department and by student organization.
Student government provides a means through which students can promote interest in student activities both on and off campus.
Supporting learners for professional and personal success
The program offers students a chance to get to know the ASRT, attend educational sessions, and network with medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals. Kemp received an all-expenses-paid trip to the ASRT Educational Symposium and Annual Governance and House of Delegates Meeting, June 25-28, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. While there, he attended courses specifically designed for students, attended the opening of the ASRT Museum and Archives and was assigned a professional mentor during the House of Delegates meeting.
“I applied to this program because it was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” Kemp said. “Having the chance to meet with leaders in my future field seemed invaluable.”
The ASRT represents more than 152,000 members who perform medical imaging procedures or plan and deliver radiation therapy treatments. The Society also provides radiologic technology students with the tools, services and support they need to prepare for careers in medical imaging and radiation therapy.
Kemp enrolled in the VGCC Radiography program because he wanted to make a career change after earning a bachelor’s degree and working for several years. Knowing that he wanted to go into health care, Kemp has already started to gain experience. He currently works full-time in the intensive care unit at Duke Raleigh Hospital as a Nursing Assistant on the night shift while attending school during the day.
Kemp is scheduled to graduate in May 2016 and would like to eventually continue his education through MRI, CT or Ultrasound training. Earlier this year, Kemp received an endowed academic achievement scholarship from VGCC.
19S
M
ON
THE
MOKE
The cast of the “Smoke on the Mountain,” shown at the top of the page, included, from left, Jessie Hartley (“Denise”), Morgan McFalls
(“Dennis”), Button Brady (“Vera”), Sidney Henderson (“Cousin Sid”), Spencer Nunn (“Pastor Oglethorpe”), Wendy Frandsen (“Miss
Myrtle”), Derek Jones (“Stanley”), Dana Jenkins (“Miss Maude”), the Rev. Pat Cox (“Burl”), and Lauren Elliott (“June”).
Shown above right are, from left, students Keith A. Tunstall and Jonathan Calamaco, Carpentry program head/instructor Keith Tunstall,
and students Brian Edwards and V’Randre Richardson stand on the set they constructed for the VGCC production.
In the photo at right are Culinary Arts students, seated, from left: Chardazsha Miller, Veronica Yount, Stacey Grissom, Heather Stallings,
Samantha Bunn, Alison Yarborough, Amanda Tillotson, Jacob Deweese, Mae Williams and Emory Gant; Standing, from left: Chef John
Boretti, Dustin Gregory, Denise White, Angela Moore, Jeramiah Tabor, Rod Hackney, Kentoria Wright, Randy Wilfong, Africia Edwards,
Djuan Closs, Clarance Bender, Joshua Prewer and Chef Ross Ragonese.
OUNTAIN
SOLD OUT:
Photo by Dan Miller
The Vance-Granville Community College Drama and Culinary Arts
departments teamed up once again to present an evening of delicious dining and
terrific theater with the production of the musical, “Smoke on the Mountain.”
VGCC’s third annual dinner theater was staged to sold-out audiences on the
evenings of Thursday, April 30, and Friday, May 1, 2015, in the Civic Center on
the Main Campus in Vance County.
“This year, our team has taken everything to a new level,” said Dr. Stelfanie
Williams, VGCC president. “First of all, ‘Smoke on the Mountain’ is Vance-
Granville’s first-ever musical. Second, the collaborative spirit has now expanded
to include our Carpentry department and our Music and Art programs adding
their own unique contributions to the event.”
VGCC staged its first-ever Dinner Theater in 2013 with the drama, “Our
Town,” followed in 2014 by the classic British mystery, “An Inspector Calls.”
“Smoke on the Mountain” (writen by Connie Ray and conceived by Alan
Bailey) tells the story of a Saturday night “Gospel sing” at a country church
in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains in 1938. The show features two dozen
rousing bluegrass songs played and sung by the Sanders Family, a traveling group
making its return to performing after a five-year hiatus. Pastor Oglethorpe, the
young and enthusiastic minister of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, has enlisted
the Sanders Family in his eforts to bring his tiny congregation into “the modern
world.” Between songs, each family member “witnesses” — telling a story about
an important event in his or her life. Though they try to appear perfect in the
eyes of a congregation who wants to be inspired by their songs, one thing after
another goes awry and they reveal their true — and hilariously imperfect —
natures.
In VGCC’s production, Spencer Nunn of Warrenton played Pastor Oglethorpe.
Cast members playing the Sanders family were Lauren Elliot of Oxford (“June”),
Rev. Pat Cox of Oxford (“Burl”), Buton Brady of Clarksville, Va. (“Vera”), Derek
Jones of Henderson (“Stanley”), Jessie Hartley of Oxford (“Denise”), Morgan
McFalls of Oxford (“Dennis”) and Sidney Henderson of Henderson (“Cousin Sid”).
Most cast members were current students at the college. The exceptions were
Brady, a VGCC Biology instructor; Elliot, a VGCC Business Ofice staf member
and alumna; and Cox, an adjunct instructor of Southern Culture and Religion
at the college. In addition, Wendy Frandsen, English instructor, played “Miss
Myrtle,” and Dana Jenkins, department chair and instructor in Mathematics,
was “Miss Maude,” members of Pastor Oglethorpe’s church in the musical.
21
Former NFL star Jason Brown, left, talks to the first graduating class of the NC REAL Agricultural Enterpreneurship class. Brown, who is now farming, played professionally with the St. Louis Rams, shown top right, and the Baltimore Ravens. A Vance County native, Brown was praised by VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams, center, for being “someone who is really giving back to his community.” The Rams photo is taken from a YouTube video by HIS Radio during an interview with Brown about his First Fruits Farm and Wisdom of Life Ministry.
Learning
to handle horses
VGCC offered its first Horsemanship course in Fall 2014, part of a new program based at Warren Campus. The Comprehensive Natural Horsemanship Program consists of four courses offered by the Occupational Extension department, providing the education and training for an individual to seek employment associated with the horse industry.
Former NFL star praises farming
The 14 graduates of the first-ever NC REAL Agricultural Entrepreneurship class at Vance-Granville received certificates and heard words of encouragement from former NFL-star-turned-farmer Jason Brown in December 2014.
“Farmers are the backbone” of the local area, our state and nation, Brown, a former center for two National Football League teams, told the graduates. “All roads lead back to the farmer,” he said, describing the rewards for being involved in agriculture.
After playing college and professional football, Brown is now farming 1,000 acres of land in Franklin County. His First Fruits Farm and Wisdom of Life Ministry were profiled on CBS News for the donation of 120,000 pounds of sweet potatoes to food pantries and churches in the Triangle area.
The course was designed to help participants succeed in developing profitable, environmentally-sound farms or agricultural businesses.
22Leading the economic development of our region
Fueling Small
Business Growth
Representatives of area businesses and non-profit organizations gathered in the VGCC Civic Center on October 21, 2014, for the Small Business Summit and Expo, organized by the VGCC Small Business Center in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce of Warren County and the Lake Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The “Fueling Small Business Growth” event featured guest speakers, discussions and opportunities for local entrepreneurs and business leaders to network. The keynote speaker was Rick Burtner, at left in the photo at right, president/CEO of Propel GPS.
VGCC celebrated the graduation of the first class from the two-year Paralegal Technology degree program in May 2015. Also worth celebrating was the fact that by the time they graduated, some of the students had already secured employment in their chosen career field. Members of the first graduating class included Kevin W. Allen of Franklinton; Kristy L. Hope of Henderson; Safwan A. Ali and Megan N. Finch, both of Louisburg; Tanisha L. Bullock and Donna W. McAllister, both of Manson; and Michelle R. Williams of Raleigh.
VGCC celebrates first Paralegal graduates
In 2015, Vance-Granville introduced a series of courses for entrepreneurs who want to compete in the growing food truck industry.
The Mobile Food Truck Entrepreneurship program, held at the Franklin Campus, was the first of its kind in North Carolina.
A partnership of VGCC’s Small Business Center and Personal Enrichment department, the series of four workshops was followed by a Food Truck Rodeo, with both community and college participation.
Food Trucks
Come to VGCCIn August 2014, Vance-Granville Community College President Dr. Stelfanie
Williams presented two of the college’s three Glen Raven, Inc., annual
awards to a pair of outstanding VGCC employees. Kathryn M. “Kathy” Ktul of
Louisburg, the college’s registrar, was named Staff Member of the Year for
2014-15, while Cosmetology program head/instructor Tomeka C. Moss of
Wake Forest was chosen as the Faculty Member of the Year.
KATHY KTUL
STAFF MEMBER OF THE YEAR
Kathy Ktul, who worked in community colleges for the past
28 years, started her education as a community college
student. She earned an Associate in Applied Science degree
at Alfred State College, a State University of New York College
of Technology. Ktul went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in
education at Cornell University and later a master’s degree
at North Carolina State University. She served as a Peace
Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone in West Africa for two years,
teaching English, agriculture and home economics. Ktul joined
the staf of Wake Technical Community College in 1986 as
coordinator of English as a Second Language and later served
as international student coordinator there. She became
Registrar at Vance-Granville in 2001 and for several years was
Director of Admissions and Records, as well. Ktul received
a VGCC President’s Leadership Award in 2009. Colleagues
praise her work in helping students and faculty members to
navigate changes in developmental courses and the newly
revised articulation agreement with the UNC system.
TOMEKA MOSS
FACULTY MEMBER OF THE YEAR
Tomeka Moss is a Warren County native and a graduate of
VGCC, where she completed the Cosmetology certificate and
diploma programs, the Cosmetology Instructor course and an
Associate in Applied Science degree in General Occupational
Technology. She joined VGCC as a Cosmetology instructor
in 1991 and became the lead instructor at the college’s
South Campus in Granville County in 1999. Since 2005,
Moss has been the program head, overseeing instruction
at all four college campuses in addition to teaching at Main
Campus. As head of the Cosmetology program, Moss has
sought to connect students with potential employers and
has challenged students through competitions. Earlier in
2014, her department held a competition that pited VGCC
students against their peers from two nearby community
colleges for the first time. Moss, a member of the Haliwa-
Saponi tribe, has also organized events at the college to
celebrate Native American Heritage Month for the past two
years.
24
In recognition of excellence
H ONORING
L
EADERSHIP
ERICA JASTROW
PRESIDENT’S LEADERSHIP AWARD
Erica Jastrow, VGCC’s department chair of Nursing, was honored in January 2015 with the President’s Leadership Award. Jastrow’s honor is one of three Glen Raven Excellence in Teaching and Leadership Awards presented to VGCC employees each year. “Erica embodies Vance-Granville’s commitment to student success,” VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams said. “She is a dedicated leader who maintains high standards so that our Nursing students receive the education, inspiration and support they need to excel in their careers. Meanwhile, she demonstrates a strong commitment to her own professional development, benefiting not only her students but also her colleagues.” A resident of Franklinton, Jastrow has taught at VGCC since 2004 and became head of the Nursing department in 2011. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Lenoir-Rhyne University and later completed a master’s in Nursing Education at UNC-Greensboro. She has been a Registered Nurse for 15 years, with experience in Intensive Care Units and Nursing Supervision in local and teaching hospitals. In 2013, Jastrow became a Certified Nurse Educator through the National League for Nursing. She was one of the first three VGCC Nursing faculty to become certified through this program.
DR. STELFANIE WILLIAMS
I.E. READY AWARD, NCSU
VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams was the 2014 recipient of the I.E. Ready Distinguished Leader Award presented by the College of Education at North Carolina State University. “The award honors community college presidents who are alumni of N.C. State for demonstrating exceptional abilities to lead, serve, inspire and collaborate with broad impact,” said Dr. Mary Ann Danowitz, Department Head of Leadership, Policy and Adult and Higher Education at the university. The award was established in memory of Ready, the first president of the North Carolina Community College System.
Dr. Williams, second from left, with officials from N.C. State University.Vance-Granville Community College’s South Campus hosted a St. Baldrick’s “Head-Shaving” event in March 2015, raising $2,821 for children’s cancer research. Donations were made to sponsor 11 people whose heads were shaved in the Cosmetology lab on the campus.
The event was organized by VGCC Human Services Technology program head/instructor Tracy Wallace of Kittrell, shown above right, who became involved with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation because of his 11-year-old son, Tyler, at left, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2010. VGCC Cosmetology instructor Nancy Jackson finished the job after young Tyler had started the shearing.
Heads shaved,
thousands
raised
for cancer
researchIn partnership with our community
Vance-Granville’s Carpentry program is partnering with Granville County Habitat for Humanity to construct a new affordable home in Oxford for a needy family. Officials from VGCC joined Habitat volunteers and community leaders at a groundbreaking ceremony at 305 Linden Avenue, the site that one day will house a local family, in October 2014.
In a first for the college, Carpentry students were building the house as part of their course work on weekdays, while local volunteers were working on the weekends.
“We look forward to a long-term partnership with Habitat for Humanity, which will teach our students what community service is truly all about,” VGCC Dean of Business and Applied Technologies Angela Gardner-Ragland said.
H ELPING
H ABITAT
Celebrating gospel
In the spirit of bringing together the college with the communities it serves, VGCC held a “Celebration of Gospel” in February 2015, in honor of Black History Month.
Organized by the VGCC Division of Business and Applied Technologies, the program featured five area church and college choirs, a gospel quartet, liturgical dance and a mime ministry.
At left, Steven Hargrove, VGCC’s Public Services department chair, leads a combined choir during the event in the VGCC Civic Center.
27CAMPSSCIENCEMiddle & high school students MEDstudents comPe to VGCCS to learn
DRAMASCIENCEMINI-MEDThe Vanguards men’s basketball team started the
2014-2015 season with great promise and ultimately
advanced to the second round of the National Junior
College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region X Division
II tournament.
A close contest with the nationally ranked
Louisburg College Hurricanes was among highlights
of the season as a large home crowd cheered on the
Vanguards at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson
on Dec. 3, 2014. Although the home team (who came
into the contest with a 1-7 record) eventually lost to
the undefeated Hurricanes by a score of 100-90, the
outcome was in doubt for much of the evening.
The Vanguards led for almost the entire first 10
minutes of the game, seeming to catch the visitors
of-guard and delighting the fans, who filled the stands
for what VGCC called “Vanguard Night,” complete with
a DJ, prize drawings and a halftime show by the step
team from a Granville County youth organization, “Un-
Rappin’ the Gift.”
The Vanguards were seeded eighth out of the 11
teams in the NJCAA tournament, the first two rounds
of which were held in Petersburg, Va.
In the tournament’s opening round, the Vanguards
faced the ninth-seed Eagles of Wake Tech Community
College in late February. VGCC won the match-up,
besting the Eagles squad for the second time that
month. The victory was the VGCC basketball program’s
Cheering FOR
OUR
first win in the post-season since 2010.
With the win, the Vanguards advanced to the
second round, but lost to the number-one seed and
regular-season champion, Louisburg College.
At the close of the season, two sophomores
from the Vanguards signed letters of intent to play
at the next level with Johnson & Wales University in
Charlote while a third signed with Bluefield College.
Guard Jarret Ballard of Durham and forward
Rodney Kirby of Burlington transferred to JWU, a four-year
school considered a rising program in the United
States Collegiate Athletic Association. Khadier Fulcher
of Oxford, named VGCC’s “Most Oustanding Player,” is
continuing his playing career at four-year BC.
Ballard and Kirby are joining a Wildcats team
that made it to the Final Four of the USCAA Division
II basketball championship earlier in 2015. Fulcher’s
Rams compete in the Appalachian Athletic Conference
and are members of the National Association of
Intercollegiate Athletics.
The Vanguards, in white, take on Louisburg College’s Hurricanes on Vanguard
Night in December 2014 with a crowd of students, staff, faculty and family
cheering for them.
30
VGCC women’s volleyball player Kara Reese of Henderson was selected to the All-Region First Team by coaches in National Junior College Athletic Association Region X, Division III. She is the first student-athlete in the history of the VGCC volleyball program to be so honored. An Outside Hitter for the Vanguards, Reese racked up impressive stats during the 2014 season, her first on the team. She recorded a team-leading 80 kills (1.9 per game, or set), 76 digs (1.8 per game), 44 blocks (1.3 per game) and 134 points (3.1 per game). A student in the College Transfer program, she plans to enter the Radiography program. She graduated from Vance County Early College High School and was a member of the girls’ volleyball team at Northern Vance High School.
Reese named All-Region First Team,
a VGCC first
Fostering student engagement in college life
VGCC celebrates
charter anniversary
Vance-Granville’s students, faculty and staff held a 45th anniversary party on Sept. 4, 2014, in the student lounge on the college’s Main Campus. The original charter for the college, then known as Vance County Technical Institute, was issued by the State Board of Education on Sept. 4, 1969, following authorization by the N.C. General Assembly earlier that year.
As recordings of some of the most popular music of 1969 played in the background, members of the college community enjoyed refreshments that included birthday cake, cupcakes and punch, all in the school colors, green and gold.
“This anniversary offers us a chance to reflect on the strong foundation that Vance-Granville Community College students, faculty, staff and leaders have built over the past 45 years,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of the college. “Their vision and their accomplishments, along with the support and engagement of our community partners, inspire us to imagine the opportunities we will have in the future to serve our students and our entire region.”
Vance-Granville Community College held a series of two free workshops for students in April 2015 called “An Educated Woman, An Educated Future,” designed to inspire women to consider careers related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The program was made possible through support from the VGCC Endowment Fund and the Plus 50 Encore Completion Grant from the American Association of Community Colleges.
In the first workshop, “Let’s Talk STEM,” students heard from panelists about their own experiences in STEM careers: Stephanie Ayers, project manager for the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Training Alliance, a partnership of VGCC and local school systems, and VGCC Director of Customized Training Sara Lloyd, who both worked in the manufacturing sector and engineering; and Dean of Health Sciences Angela Thomas, a radiologic technologist.
The second, “What Do STEM Jobs Really Look Like?” featured Joretha Johnson, a management consultant and retired plant manager for Procter and Gamble Pet Care/Iams Corporation. She said that many women think they are “not technical,” and that is how she thought of herself until she majored in Chemical Engineering in college. “It’s important for women to go into STEM careers so that we may provide better lives for ourselves and our children,” Johnson said.
Inspiring women to pursue STEM careers
VGCC staff and supporters gather for “Educated Woman” workshop. From left are Kay Currin from the college, supporter Katharine Horner, Sara Lloyd from VGCC, and supporter Linda Weaver. By Jamica Whitaker, Staff Writer
The Daily Dispatch, Henderson
The class was about justice, and fifth-graders from Clarke Elementary were invited.
Vance-Granville Community College and the Vance County Sheriff’s Office partnered to give a group of local children a taste of college life.
College Student for a Day was presented by Vance-Granville’s criminal justice and paralegal technology programs on April 24, 2015, to 24 students.
The students began their day with a lecture that asked them to define justice. They examined a real-life case and sentencing then wrote whether or not they thought justice had been served.
“The middle-schoolers are really interactive,” Antoinette Dickens, paralegal technology program head, said. “They’re really fun, and they get a taste of college.”
College students in the two programs presenting the event talked to the class about their college experience and what they enjoyed about it. They also gave presentations on several criminal justice topics, including drug use, human trafficking and evidence collection.
The most interactive part of the day was when students reconstructed a crime scene, putting three pieces of evidence back where they were found following a crime, using just measurements and few details.
“I learned that you shouldn’t use drugs because they tear you up,” Talia Wiggins, Clarke Elementary fifth-grader, said. “And I learned that you shouldn’t join a gang because when you get older and have children and want to get out, they’ll (gang members) come after you. Your kids and family will come next.”
Fellow fifth-grader, Isaiah Lewis, said he picked up a few things, too.
“We learned that drugs are bad for you,” he said. “And we learned about a crime scene.”
Melissa Elliott, gang resource officer with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, said the students were part of the department’s gang awareness program.
“It’s important to talk to them at this age because of the transition that they’re about to make to middle school,” she said. “I want them to be confident as they go into that next stage of their lives.”
This is the second year of College Student for a Day, Elliott said, and she hopes the message is getting through to the children.
“I just want them to know that education matters, that they matter,” she said.
Dickens agreed that showing children college is accessible is crucial.
“A lot of students don’t think that they can go to college, and they’re not aware of how many programs Vance-Granville offers,” Dickens said. “It’s something they need to know about, this gem in their backyard.”
Note: The College Student for a Day program was conducted for students from several Vance County county schools in 2014-2015.
VGCC, law officers give students taste of college
Cultivating a college-wide culture of support for learners
Each semester at Vance-Granville Community College, nearly a thousand high school students take advantage of tuition-free classes through the Career and College Promise program.
CCP, as it is known around campus, offers structured opportunities for qualified high school students to pursue one of three pathways at VGCC that lead to a certificate, diploma or degree as well as providing entry-level job skills.
“Students have an incredible opportunity to be enrolled in both high school and college courses at the same time in order to earn both high school and college credit,” said Lyndon Hall, VGCC’s director of joint high school programs. “High school juniors and seniors can get a head start on a two-year degree or four-year degree while they are still in high school, and it’s tuition free.”
Academic credits earned through CCP pathways enable students who continue into postsecondary education, after high school graduation, to complete an undergraduate degree in less time than high school students without college credit would need to complete. Enrollment in CCP is available to public, private, and home-schooled high school students.
Specific qualification criteria for all high school students are required for each pathway in either Career and Technical Education (CTE) or College Transfer.
More than 700 students were served through the early college high schools located at each of VGCC’s four campuses.
In the fall of 2014, 115 high school-age students outside the early college high schools pursued a CTE pathway while 71 followed the College Transfer pathway for a total of 186 students taking advantage of the free tuition and head start.
High school students enjoy free tuition
33Vance-Granville
Community College
enriches the lives of students and increases their lifetime incomes. For every $1 the student invests in a VGCC education, he or she will receive approximately $7.70 in higher future earnings over the course of a working career. Over the course of a working lifetime, associate’s degree graduates in the VGCC service area earn $318,500 more than someone without a high school diploma.
Economic Modeling Specialists Intl., 2013
c
c
Students
OUR
Percentages of
Curriculum Students
By County:
28.5% 24.5% 10.7%
Gran
ville Vance Warren
County
County
County
19.9%
F
ranklin
County
1.7% 14.5% .2%
Other NC Adjacent Non-NC
Counties Counties Counties
2014-2015
11,397
* Unduplicated is not the sum of the two totals because some students took both Curriculum courses and Continuing Education/Literacy courses.
CURRICULUM
PROGRAMS
CONTINUING
EDUCATION/LITERACY
CUSTOMIZED
INDUSTRIAL TRAINING
4,552
Students
34% 66%
Male Female
27
Average Age
16 16:1
Students Student/Faculty
Per Class Ratio
7,339
Students
65% 35%
Male Female
37
Average Age
5,714 1,625
Students in
Occupational &
Industry Training,
Small Business Center, Personal Enrichment
Students in
Adult Basic Skills,
English as a Second Language, High School Equivalency
22
Companies
/Industries
Served
493
Trainees
SMALL BUSINESS CENTER
SERVICES
71
Seminars
683
Attendees
91
Clients
GRADUATES
CURRICULUM
474
Associate
Degrees
151
Diplomas
85
Certificates
TOTAL STUDENTS
Unduplicated Headcount*
GRADUATES
LITERACY
117
High School
Equivalency
110
Adult High
School DiplomasResources
OUR
Tuition* In-State Out-of-State
Per Credit Hour (full-time) $72.00 $264.00
Per Semester
(full-time, 16 hours or more) $1,152.00 $4,224.00
* Tuition is set by the North Carolina General Assembly and is subject to change.
FINANCIAL AID Number of Dollars
For Students Recipients Awarded
Pell Grants 1,943 $5,840,153
VGCC Scholarships 300 $192,029
Institutional Grants 217 $91,462
N.C. Community College Grants 348 $163,583
N.C. Education Lottery Scholarships 181 $156,495
Federal Work-Study Program 43 $87,777
Veterans Educational Benefits 85 $393,698
Other Financial Aid 1,863 $1,439,708
TOTAL (Unduplicated) 3,467 $8,394,905
STATE $20,795,856
COUNTY $2,627,820
FEDERAL $6,732,892
OTHER $3,958,221
TOTAL
FUNDING $34,114,789
1
2
3
4
FUNDING
TUITION
OUR STAFF
Full-Time Instructors 152
Full-Time Staff 169
Part-Time Instructors 315
Part-Time Staff 128
2014-2015
COUNTY
7.7%
STATE
61%
FEDERAL
19.7%
OTHER
11.6%
35The 2014-2015 fiscal year marked another year of growth for the Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund with six new scholarships becoming fully endowed in addition to a significant amount of activity involving new and existing scholarships.
Through the Endowment Fund, VGCC has awarded more than 8,000 scholarships to students since 1982. Scholarships have been endowed by numerous individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff.
Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business or industry with a lasting gift to education.
In the 2014-2015 fiscal year, the following six new scholarships were started:
A Presidential Scholar Award, the most prestigious scholarship offered to students, was created in memory of Lelia Brigham. (See Pages 4-5 for more information.)
The Hubert L. Gooch, Jr., Memorial Academic Achievement Scholarship, with preference given to students who are residents of Granville County, was created in October 2014 by his family. Gooch, a longtime educator and community leader, died in March 2014. Gooch also served on the VGCC Board of Trustees and the Endowment Fund board.
The Oxford Lodge, No. 103, Independent Order of Odd Fellows Presidential Scholar Award was established by the local service organization with inspiration in part by longtime club treasurer J. David Brooks of Oxford, who died in February 2015. Brooks was a former trustee at VGCC.
The Hervé and Jackie Sergent Scholarship, created by the Oxford mayor and her husband, was created to help children attending the VGCC Science Camps each summer.
The Union Bank & Trust Founding Directors Academic Achievement Award was established in March by the Oxford-based bank to pay tribute to the business and community leaders who founded the bank.
The Virginia L. Wester Academic Achievement Scholarship was endowed by W. Hutson “Hut” Wester in January 2015 in memory of his wife, who died the previous January. The new Wester scholarship will be given to students who are planning to
L EGACY
G IVING
OF
Above: From left, VGCC Endowment Specialist Kay Currin, Linda C. Ligon, VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams and Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson. Brigham’s sister, Linda C. Ligon of Tryon, N.C., visited with college officials to celebrate the establishment of the new scholarship on the family’s behalf. In addition to Ligon, Brigham was survived by another sister, Gale C. Morgan of Birmingham, Alabama.
L IVING
Atransfer to a four-year university and pursue a major related to insurance. A continuing education instructor in insurance at VGCC for several years, Wester has been instrumental in endowing two other scholarships.
Four additional scholarships were started:
The Charles and Audrey Ballentine Academic Achievement Scholarship was established in memory of her parents by Dr. Angela Ballentine, VGCC’s vice president of academic and student affairs. Dr. Ballentine’s parents were both educators in Rockingham County. Preference will be given to students in the VGCC Radiography degree program.
The Charles L. Brooks Sr. Scholarship keeps alive the memory of a VGCC South Campus custodian/housekeeper from Oxford who died in 2009 following a long battle with leukemia. His friends and co-workers have established the scholarship and are seeking contributions to make it fully funded so that it might soon be awarded to students.
Sue Wooten Grissom Academic Achievement Scholarship, created by Brigham, is designated for students who came to VGCC for an adult high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma and then enrolled in a curriculum program to earn a certificate, diploma or degree.
Keith and Stelfanie Williams Family Presidential Merit Award, created by VGCC’s president and her family, was established for an adult high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma graduate who then enrolled in a curriculum program to earn a certificate, diploma or degree.
In addition, two previously-established scholarships became fully endowed during the year:
The Triangle North Healthcare Foundation Academic Achievement Scholarship, for students pursuing a health-related program of study, was completed with a final contribution from the foundation.
The Robert J. Turner/Henderson Kiwanis Club Academic Achievement Scholarship was completed by the civic club in memory of a longtime member.
PSNC Energy also increased the size of its scholarship endowment as well.
Endowment Board
2014-2015
Dr. Stelfanie Williams
Chair
Robert L. Hubbard
Vice Chair
Julia Ann Taylor
Secretary
Julius Banzet III
Sarah Baskerville
Deborah F. Brown
Jim Chatman
James W. Crawford, Jr.
Dr. Ben F. Currin
L. Opie Frazier, Jr.
Paul W. Harris
Rev. Dr. Richard M. Henderson
T.S. Royster, Jr.
Donald C. Seifert, Sr.
Todd Wemyss
VGCC Board of Trustees chair Deborah F. Brown (left) accepts a symbolic check for $21,441 from the leaders of the VGCC Endowment Fund Faculty and Staff Drive at the Nov. 17, 2014, Board meeting. The drive co-chairs were, start­ing second from left, School-Age Education program head/instructor Jacquelin Heath, Computer Education instructor Steven Sievert and Director of Student Success Amy O’Geary.
Geraldine Green Gooch, seated, and Katrina Gooch Lawson, standing in the cen­ter, the wife and daughter, respectively, of former VGCC Trustee Hubert L. Gooch, Jr., present contributions to the Endowment Fund, represented by Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson, left, and VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams to endow the Academic Achievement Scholarship in memory of Gooch.
37D
ONORS
ENDOWMENT FUND
FOUNDERS’ CIRCLE
— $5,000 and Up
Estate of Lelia Brigham
Century 21 Hancock
Properties, Inc.
Duke Energy Foundation
Charles W. Finch
Brenda Frazier
Estate of Hubert L. Gooch, Jr.
Oxford Lodge, #103, I.O.O.O. F.
Rainpark
SCANA Services, Inc.
Jackie & Hervé Sergent
Triangle North Healthcare
Union Bank & Trust Company
Universal Leaf Foundation
Wester Realty & Insurance
Agency, Inc.
VGCC Golf Tournament
Anonymous
PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE
— $2,500 to $4,999.99
Ardagh Glass
AXA Foundation
Care Fusion
CertainTeed Corportation
Glen Raven, Inc.
Granville Co. Cattleman’s
Association
Maria Parham Medical Center
Mountain Creek Baptist Church
Charles and Carolyn Noblin
Novozymes North America
Dr. Stelfanie Williams
Wythe Advantage, Inc.
Anonymous
DEANS’ CIRCLE
— $1,000 to $2,499.99
Altec Industries, Inc.
Mary Ann Antley
Dr. Angela Ballentine
Carolina Commonwealth
Forest Products
Stacey Carter-Coley
CenturyLink
Circuit Technology
James Crawford
Phyllis L. Dixon
Wil Drake
Durham Coca-Cola
Toney O. Falkner
Marjorie B. Gentry
Jack Hoile
Katharine Horner
Inter Technologies
K-Flex
Don W. Lee
M.R. Williams
John Nelms
Marsha Nelson
Park Automation Inc.
The Pegram Agency
Revlon
Robling Medical
Say So Ministries
Toyota of Henderson
Variety Stores, Inc./Roses Stores
George Watkins
Linda B. Weaver
Anonymous
Ardagh Glass
Richard B. Armfield
Bowers & Burrows
Jason Brown
Carolina Country Snacks
City Tire, Inc.
Dr. Samuel M. Currin
Mr. & Mrs. James Edwards
Granville Health System
H. G. Reynolds
Joe Hamme
Institutional Interiors, Inc.
Lake Gaston Computer Club
Newton Instrument Co.
Steven Sievert
Stainback & Satterwhite Attorneys
Jesse A. Sullins, Jr.
Ted’s Catering Service Company
Tru-Green Lawn and Landscaping
Vance Athletic Supply Co., Inc.
Winston International, LTD
Anonymous
SCHOLARS’ CIRCLE
— $500 to $999.99
HONOR’S CIRCLE
— $250 to $499.99
Catherine Barham
William Barnett
Barnett Properties, LLC
David Carver
Mr. & Mrs. Dave Currin
Mr. & Mrs. Eddie Ferguson
Roger Gouge
George Henderson
Henderson Wellness Center PA
Holden, Moss, Knott, Clark & Taylor
Lindsay Precast
Bobbie Jo May
Steve McGrady
Mpact Solutions
Neuse Sport Shop, Inc.,
Sean Newton
North Carolina Association
for Black High Schools
Amy O’Geary
REW Medical
Shalag US Inc.
Walmart Distribution Center
Eleanor Waterman
Cecilia Wheeler
Anonymous
FRIENDS’ CIRCLE
— Up to $249.99
220 Seafood Restaurant
AAA Mid-Atlantic
Larraine Abbott
Jeffrey Allen
Jennifer Allen
John Allen
Patrice Allen
Glen Alston
Catherine Andrews
John Andrews
Emily Ankrom
Olu Ariyo
Bobby Austin
Auto Connection
AWH Promotional Products
Carolyn Ayscue
Melissa Ayscue
Spence Bailey
Tammy Ball
Mr. & Mrs. Julius Banzet
Barnett Real Properties, Inc.
Stephen Barney
Andrew Beal
Bearpond Market, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. James G. Beck
Bridget Bell
Daniel Bender
Jean Blaine
Diane Blalock
Kelly Bondurant
Susan Boos
John Boretti
Gary L. Bowman
Glenda Bowman
Glen Boyd
Helen Bradby
Button Brady
Phillips, Dorsey, Thomas,
Waters & Brafford
Brame Specialty Company
Brassfield Realty
Fred Brewer
Gina Brewer
Ivory Brock
Maureen Broderick
Michael Brodie
Chris Brockman
Kali Brown
Jason Bryan
Randy Bryant
Reba Bullock
Reggie Bullock
John Bunch
Kyle Burwell
Bernard Burch
Burger King/Carolina Quality Inc.
Phyllis G. Bynum
C&P Body Shop, Inc.
Derrick Cameron
Jennifer Campbell
Carolina Solar Energy
Carolina Sunrock LLC
Geraldine Cash
Susan Cease
CEI
Century 21
Margaret Chaves-Smith
Mack Choplin
Betty Clark
Coldwell Banker Advantage
Alvin Lorenzo Coley
Comfort Zone Designers, Inc.
Melanie Copeland
Susan Corbitt
Hilda Cordell
Joellen Craft
Jennifer Creech
Calvin Crews
Ben Currin
Benjamin M. Currin
Luther Curtis
Lewis Daughtry
Cathy Davis
Jennie Davis
Jillian Davis
Shelia Davis
Yamika Dawes
Marque Debnam
Tina Dekle
Pamela Dezurik
Antoinette Dickens
Claudette Dickerson
Dill Air Controls Products
Dot’s Hallmark
Drake Dentistry
Eakes Funeral Home, Inc.
Early Insurance Company
Blondelle Edgerton
Edmundon & Burnette
Attorneys
Lisa Edwards
Tommy Edwards
Lauren Elliott
Betty Jo Ellis
Skipper Forsyth’s Bar-B-Q Inc.
Encore Technology Group, LLC
James Epps
Mitch Evans
Wallace Evans
Express Employment
Delton Farmer
Karen Feezor
Andrea Ferguson
Dale Fey
First Citizens Bank
Robinette Fischer
Landis Fisher
Amy Fleming
Erica Fleming
Linda Fletcher
Flowers Funeral Home, Inc.
Focus Design Builders
Erin Folz
Lori Forsythe
George S. Foster
Macy Foster
Willie Mae Foster-Hill
Wendy Frandsen
Franklin County Committee
of 100
Frazco Inc.
Michael Frazier
Roberta Freeman
Samuel Fuller
Angela Gardner-Ragland
Hollie Garrett
Donna Gill
Gilmore Global
Golden Skillet
Faye Goode
Steven Graham
Granville Economic
Development Commission
Beth Gray
Serena Green
Greystone Concrete
Products, Inc.
Andy Grissom
Rose Marie Grissom
Evelyn Hall
Lyndon Hall
Tara Hamilton
Carl Hann
Antonio Hargrove
Bernard Hargrove
Jermiel Hargrove
Steven Hargrove
Trudy Hargrove
Deborah Harris
Evelyn Harris
Faith Harris
Pamela Harris
Brenda Harvey
Jessica Harvey
Bonita Hawkins
Jackie Heath
Betsy Henderson
Julie Hicks
Hight Warehouse
Emily P. Hill
Dennis Hodge
Hopper, Hicks & Wrenn, AttorneysWe are pleased to recognize the generous contributions made by these individuals and businesses through their continued support of the VGCC Endowment Fund from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015.
The Oxford Lodge, No. 103, Independent Order of Odd Fellows Presidential Scholar Award was established by the local service organization with inspiration in part by longtime club treasurer J. David Brooks of Oxford, who died in Febru­ary 2015. Brooks was a former trustee at VGCC.
Robert Hubbard
Faith M. Hudgins
Robert Hudson
Debra Hughes
Gregory Hughes
Kathy Hughes
Diane Hunt
Leslie Hurt, Jr.
Hydro Service & Supplies, Inc.
Kim Jackson
Nancy Jackson
Erica Jastrow
Sam Jefferson
Dana Jenkins
Tina Johnson
Larry Jones
Michelle Jones
Suzanne Keil
Sherrie Kemp-Bruce
June Kersey
Kiwanis Club of Henderson, Inc.
Victoria Klesmith
Blair Kraft
Kathy Ktul
Jeremy Lambert
Dr. Ken Lewis
Priscilla Lewis
Sara Lloyd
Jenny Luffman
Timothy MacNeil
Frank Madigan
Camella Marcom
Mast Drug Company, Inc.
Mary McMannen
Steve McNally
Medical Arts Pahrmacy
Christan Melvin
Peter Metzner
Daniel Miller
Susan Miller
Evangeline Mitchell
Tina Moll
Philip Mondou
Esdras de la Torre Moran
Patrick Morris
Morton and Sherman
Implement Co., Inc.
Mosley Plumbing Co.
Tomeka Moss
Greg Nash
Jerry Neve
Elton L. Newbern, III
Robert Newby
Sandra Newton
Nick & Sons Truck Repair, Inc.
Gabrielle Norfleet
Tommy Nowell
Sharon O’Geary
One Source Document Solutions, Inc.
Emmanuel Otti
Benny Overton
Randy Owen
Rusty Pace
Pacific Coast Feather Company
Candy Parker
Darlene Parrish
Rhonda Paynter
Rhonda Pegram
Patricia Pendergrass
April Perkinson
Jeff Perry
Sharon E. Perry
Pete Smith Tire & Quick Lube, Inc.
Seletha Pherribo-Bumphus
Veta Pierce-Cappetta
Carol Piper
Anthony Pope
James Powell
Prim Real Estate Rentals
Professional Pharmacy of Oxford
Jack Puckett
Norma Pulley
Ross J. Ragonese
Mike Rainey
David Ramey
Abul Rasheed
RFR Metal Fabrication
Frances Rice
Iris Richardson
Rick Edwards Electric
Robco Manufacturing, Inc.
Nicole Roberson
Thomas Robinson
Tyrone Robinson
Lisa Rodwell
Travis Ross
April Rossi
Nancy Rouse
Anna Royster
T.S. Royster, Jr.
Royster & Cross Attorneys
Gail Ruby
David Ruggles
Kristi Salmons-Ellenberg
Craig Saunders
Donald Seifert
Keith Shearon
Sherman & Boddie, Inc.
Timothy W. Short
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Sloderbeck
Ricky Small
Vivian Smith
Wesley Smith
Jason Snelling
Stacey Soles
Patrick S. Southerland
Southern Educational Systems
Jonathan Sparks
Deanna Stegall
Elaine Stem
Julie Sterling
Rebecca Stewart
Tonya Strum
Zane Styers
Superior Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep
Chrystal Swilley
Kambiz Tahmased
Isaac Talley
Allen Tharrington
Owen Tharrington
Andrew Thomas
Phyllis Thomas
Ernest R. Thompson
Joanne Thompson
Natasha Thompson
O.D. Towler
Spring Tucker
Robert Tulloch II
Keith Tunstall
Utilization Review Dept.
Vance Construction Co.
Vanguarden Members
Vescom America
VGCC Health Sciences
Tonya Waddle
Wake Electric
Tracey Wallace
Michael Ward, Jr.
Herbert Washington
Alex Watkins
Johnny Watkins
Vickie S. Watkins
Vickie W. Watkins
Watkins Development Co. Inc.
Randy Weary
Tanya Weary
Todd Wemyss
Sara Wester
Kelly Wheeler
Whitco Termite and Pest Control
J.M. White Funeral Services Inc.
William White
William Stark and Company
Alicia Williams
Dorothy Williams
Wesley Williams
Susan Williamson
Glynnis Wilson
Gregory Wilson
Kenneth Wilson
Steven Woodworth
WOW Wash on Wheels
Danny W. Wright
Robert Wright
WW Properties & Rentals, LLC
David Wyche
Yolander Yoder
Cynthia Young
Gerald Young
Anonymous
IN-KIND GIFTS
— July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015
Ace Hardware of Oxford
Bamboo Garden
Bob Hubbard
Bridgestone Bandag
Carolina Country Snacks
Carolina Lanes Bowling
City Tire
Cracker Barrel #343
Dell, Inc.
Denny’s
EZ Car Care Center
George’s of Oxford
Golden Corral
Golden Skillet
Harvest
Henderson Wellness Center
House of Ribeyes, Oxford
Ichibar Japanese Restaurant
Institutional Interiors Inc.
International Paper
Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse
Mayflower Seafood Restaurant
McConnell Golf, LLC
Milano’s of Oxford
One Source Document Solutions
Pizza Hut of Henderson
Pizza Inn of Henderson
Ribeyes of Henderson
Ribeyes of Oxford
Schewels Furniture Company
Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q
Southern Laundry
Stella & Dot by Michelle Burgess
Tarheel Vending and Wholesale
The Angus Barn
The Peanut Roaster
Toyota of Henderson
Vance Furniture
Vanco Equipment Services
Variety Wholesalers/Roses Stores
IN-KIND GIFTS
— July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015
GIFTS MADE IN HONOR
OR IN MEMORY OF
— July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015
Charles and Audrey Ballentine
Lelia Brigham
Charles Brooks
David Brooks
Dorothy M. Currin
Jerome and Dora Faulkner
Matthew Frink
Hubert Gooch, Jr.
Patricia Graham
Sue Wooten Grissom
Tony Grissom
Tom Long
Vesta Manning
Eben and Mary Frances McSwain
Marsha J. Nelson
Dale Ramsey
Walter J. Rublein
Robert J. Turner
Virginia L. Wester
Michael White
Keith and Stelfanie Williams
W. T. YanceyA
WARDS
VGCC
SCHOLARSHIP
The Union Bank & Trust Founding Directors Academic Achievement Award was established in March 2015 by the Oxford-based bank to pay tribute to the business and community leaders who founded the bank. Union Bank & Trust Company started in 2006 with locations in Granville County and has since expanded into Franklin, Vance, Person and Wake counties. The bank’s founding directors were Dr. Jodi S. Anderson, James B. Belcher, Thomas M. Combs, Chandler T. Currin, Jr., R. Gene Edmundson, Stanley H. Fox, B. Autry Gentry, Herbert T. Gregory, Jr., F. Wills Hancock, IV, Crawford A. Knott, Creedmoor Mayor Darryl Moss, Robert T. Williford, II, and T. Gray Yancey. Celebrating the creation of the scholarship at the bank’s headquarters in Oxford were, in front, from left: Williford, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, Fox, Edmundson, Betty Lou Gentry, representing her late husband, and Knott; and in back, from left: Hancock, Gregory, Yancey, Combs, Belcher, Currin, and Moss. Dr. Williams is the president of VGCC and a member of the Union Bank board of directors. Fox and Edmundson are former chairmen of the board, while Knott is the current chairman.
PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR
($1250)
ACS
R.B. “Bob” Butler Memorial
John T. Church, Sr.
John T. Church, Sr. Memorial
Nannie Crowder Memorial
Duke Energy
GSK
Glen Raven, Inc.
Patricia P. Graham
Ann Rose Allen/Guild Gift Gallery
at Maria Parham
Leslie Carswell/Guild Gift Gallery
at Maria Parham
Gean Bobbitt/Guild Gift Gallery
at Maria Parham
W. Beverly Tucker, MD/Guild Gift Gallery at Maria Parham
Guild Gift Gallery at Maria Parham
Guild Gift Gallery Volunteers
Robbie Gilliam Hedrick/
Robert Jerome Hedrick
G. Daniel Knight, Jr.
George Wilson and Pattie Alston
Macon/Katharine M. Horner
Guy Thomas and Lelle Courtney
Horner/Guy T. Horner
The Johnson’s Educational Fund
Felix McDaniel Family
John K. Nelms
Mary Ruth Nelms
Harold and Helen Sherman
Leon Turner
VGCC Faculty & Staff
John Weaver
PRESIDENTIAL MERIT
($750)
Air Control, Inc
Linda Aleshire Memorial
Frank and Ruth Askins Nursing
Lucy Royster Brenner
Memorial
Bridgestone Commercial Solutions CareFocus Nursing
Church of the Holy Innocents
Emma Rose Church
John T. Church, Sr.
Marion Lee Johnson Church
Coca-Cola Bottlers’
Foundation
Marshall Young Cooper, Sr.
& Mishew C. Cooper Nursing
Rudolph Corbitt Memorial
Nannie Crowder Memorial
Thurman and Fannie Crumpler
Scouting
Dr. Ben F. Currin
The Farrington Foundation
Ferguson Family Foundation
Friends of Hospice
GSK
Glen Raven, Inc.
Granville County Cattlemen’s
Association
Granville Industrial & Business Club
Betty S. Hicks/Granville Industrial
& Business Club
Margaret L. Gupton and Linwood
M. Gupton Memorial
Talmadge Hamm Memorial
Joseph and Carrie Hamme
Harriet & Henderson Yarns, Inc.
H. Dermont Hedrick Memorial
Vera M. Hedrick Memorial
Hugh White Holt Memorial
Hubbard Family
George W. Jenkins Memorial
Boy Scouts
Grace Hamme Jester
Bignall Speed Jones Memorial
Kayser-Roth Corporation/
Creedmoor Distribution Center
Kittrell Family
Lace Lastics Co., Inc.
Robert A. Leggett Memorial/
Leggett Family
Harriette G. Mast Memorial Margaret West Cousins
Matteson
Eben G. & Mary Frances McSwain
Robert A. Miller
Nelms Family
Marsha J. Nelson
The Oxford Woman’s Club Memorial
The Oxford Woman’s Club Centennial
Helen & Norris Post
Professional Construction Estimators
Association - Triangle Chapter
Rain Park
Revlon
Ella Glover Rowell
John Stovall Royster, Jr. Memorial
Helen Jones Sherman Memorial
Sirchie Finger Print Laboratories
Holly Elizabeth Turner Memorial
Union Bank/Stanley H. Fox
William T. “Billy” Watkins Memorial
Hutson Wester Insurance
ACADEMIC
ACHIEVEMENT
($500)
Lucy West Abbott Memorial
Sam Alford Memorial/
Henderson Lions Club
AMVETS - Vance County
Chapter #730
Hayden C. Bailey Family
Memorial
Bank of America
Jules and Harriet Banzet
The Barnabus Fund
James R. Barnes/
Vance County Unit
N.C. Retired School Personnel
BB&T of Henderson & Oxford
W.B. Beasley Memorial
George B. Blum Memorial/
Middleburg Ruritan Club
Dr. Joseph Alston Boyd, Jr.
Amanda A. “Mandy”
Braswell Memorial
Pauline Neisler Brewer
John Brigham Memorial
Annie R. Bullock Memorial/
City of Henderson
George E. & Estelle H. Bullock
Memorial
Bernard O. Burgess Memorial
Radiography
Burlington Industries
& Georgia-Pacific
R.B. Butler Memorial
Nathan Burwell
Capital Bank
Carolina Sunrock
Minnie Moseley Cawley
Memorial
CertainTeed Corporation
Cecil L. Chacon, Jr. Memorial
Church of the Holy Innocents
John T. Church
John T. Church, Sr./Roses Stores
Martha M. Clark
Brandon S. Coker Memorial
Lucille Couch
Lenwood A. Crabtree/Duke
Energy
Dorothy M. Currin Memorial
Dorothy M. Curring Nursing
Nannie A. Crowder Memorial
Sophia H. Currin Memorial
Thomas B. Currin/Rotary Club
of Oxford
T.J. “Pooky” Currin Memorial
Mr. and Mrs. William A. Delbridge
Smith Doss and Claude Monnier
Eastern Carolina Rabbit Breeders
Association
Jerry Ellington Memorial
Anne Cooke Finch
Stanley H. Fox
Julius M. Frazier Memorial
Friends of Hospice
Matthew Frink
Gate Precast Company
Glen Raven, Inc. Academic
Achievement
Hubert L. Gooch, Sr.
Granville Industrial
& Business Club
John K. Nelms/Granville
Industrial Club
Elie Gut/Ideal Fastener
CorporationA total of 339 scholarships were awarded to students at Vance-Granville Community College during the 2013-2014 academic year through the generosity of donors to the college.
More than 300 scholarships were awarded to students at Vance-Granville Community College during the 2014-2015 academic year through the generosity of donors to the college.
The Virginia L. Wester Academic Achievement Scholarship was endowed by W. Hutson “Hut” Wester, shown at right with Endowment Fund Director Eddie Ferguson, in January 2015 in memory of Wester’s wife, who died the previous January. The new Wester scholarship will be given to students who are planning to transfer to a four-year university and pursue a major related to insurance. A continuing education instructor in insurance at VGCC for several years, Wester has been instrumental in endowing two other scholarships.
Legacy Donors
The following donors have contributed $100,000 or more
to the VGCC Endowment Fund
and Vance-Granville
Community College:
Estate of
Lelia C. Brigham
Estate of
Robert & Anna Butler
Estate of
Nannie Crowder
Estate of
Wilbert A. Edwards
GlaxoSmith Kline
Glen Raven Mills, Inc.
Guild Gift Gallery,
Maria Parham
Leggett Family
VGCC Faculty & Staff
New Scholarships
These new scholarships were endowed during the 2014-2015 academic year
and were named
in honor/memory of:
PRESIDENTIAL
SCHOLAR
($25,000)
Oxford Lodge #103
(Independent Order
of Odd Fellows)
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
($10,000)
Hubert L. Gooch, Jr.
Triangle North
Healthcare
Foundation
Robert J. Turner/Henderson Kiwanis Club
Union Bank & Trust
Founding Directors
Virginia L. Wester
Michael White
Memorial
Talmadge Hamm Memorial
Dr. & Mrs. Roy L. Noblin Memorial
The IAMS Company
Thurston S. “Judge” & Vivian L. Parham
Thomas G. & Mildred K. Taylor
Memorial
John Pearson Harris, Sr. and Jr.
Memorial
Mattie B. Harris
Ethel Jane Rideout Harrison
Memorial
Robert Burnham Harrison, Sr.
Memorial
Robert B. Harrison/
Henderson Kiwanis Club
E. Anne Wortham/Henderson
Business & Professional
Women’s Club
Thelma “Bug” Dempsey/
Henderson Business
& Professional Women’s Club
Carrie Draper/Henderson Business
& Professional Women’s Club
Fitzhugh A. Kesler/Henderson
Business & Professional
Women’s Club
Emily G. Whitten/Henderson Business
& Professional Women’s Club
Henderson Coca-Cola Bottling
Company/Classic Food Services
Robert J. Turner/Henderson Kiwanis Club
Henderson Rotary Club
Henderson Woman’s Club
Founding Members of the Henderson
Police Honor Guards
Irene Hamm Hester Memorial/
Carolina Cooling & Heating, Inc.
George W. Holden, Jr., Accounting
Mike Huffaker
George W. Jenkins Memorial
Boy Scouts
Linda Vele Johnson Memorial
Seby B. Jones and Rufus T. Aiken
James Madison “Jimmy” Joyner Memorial
Mr. and Mrs. C.B. Keller and William
Lee Keller Memorial
Leo Kelly, Jr.
Kerr Lake Area Home Builders
Association/Red Faulkner Memorial
Kerr Lake Area Home Builders
Association/John Franklin
Kerr Lake Area Home Builders
Association/Carl Lawrence
Kerr Lake Board of Realtors
Milton F. Legg, Jr. Memorial
Frank H. Madigan
Vesta Fortson Manning Memorial
Maria Parham Medical Center
Volunteer Services
William J. “Bill” Matthews
Memorial
Fred E. and Ernestine H. Miller
Memorial
Robert J. and Isabel B. Morgan
Memorial
Lou Ann Murphy Parker Basic Skills
Diane W. Nethercutt Nursing
Memorial
Newton Instrument Co., Inc.
Walter L. Newton
John K. Nelms/Newton
Nortel
Novozymes North America, Inc.
Oxford-Henderson Alumnae Chapter
of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Oxford Junior Woman’s Club
Oxford Lions Club
Mr. and Mrs. B.A. Parker
William D. Payne
W.D. Payne/Henderson High School Class of 1938
W.D. Payne/Henderson High School
Class of 1939
W.D. Payne/Vance County Unit
NC Retired School Personnel
Scott Parker Peace Memorial
and Adna B. Pierce Memorial
Henry S. Peoples/Chapter #67,
Disabled American Veterans
Julian and Elsie Gray Pernell
PNC Bank
Mary Potter High School
Myrtle Jane Pruitt Memorial
PSNC Energy
Rain Park
Samir Harith “Reef” Abdul Rasheed Memorial
Buggana Subba Reddy Memorial
Putlur S. Devi Reddy Memorial
Putlur Jayarama Reddy Memorial
Steven Allen and Thomas “Tommee” Wayne Reese Memorial
Revlon
Rowan-Walters Nursing
Robin Rowland Memorial
Royster, Cross & Hensley, LLP
Walter J. Rublein Memorial
Clemens Oscar Seifert/
Coca-Cola Bottling Company
of Henderson
Mary Helen Harris Shields Memorial
Hettie Currin Skipper Memorial Nursing
South Granville Rotary Club
SunTrust Bank
Ben and Cornelia Terry
Rachel P. Thomas
Bessie Nelson Trado Memorial/
First United Methodist Church
Triangle Home Health Care, Inc.
Triangle North Healthcare Foundation
Grady W. Tunstall
Universal Leaf North America, US
Frank Tedder Memorial/
J.P. Taylor Employees/
Universal Leaf
Vance County Association
of Educational Office
Professionals
Vance Construction Company
Vance County Farm Bureau
Veterans of Foreign Wars/
Hill Cooper Post #2417, Inc. Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans
of Foreign Wars, Hill Cooper
Auxiliary Post #2417, Inc.
Warrenton Rotary Club
Marvin H. Baugh/Warrenton
Rotary Club
S.M. Watkins, Sr. Memorial
Morris and Jean West Memorial
Virginia L. Wester
Otha Wilkins Memorial
Edward L. Williams Memorial
Pratt and Gwendolyn Winston
Kate M. Wood Memorial
ANNUAL
SCHOLARSHIPS
Duke Energy
GSK
Lake Gaston Computer Club
Lloyd Gabriel Memorial/
Air Control, Inc.
Rain Park
Dale Ramesy Music Scholar
STEM Science Camp
State Employees Credit Union
Foundation
State Employees Credit Union/
Continuing Education
J.P. Taylor/Universal Leaf
Vance-Granville Community
College Music
Wake Electric/
Touchstone Energy
Kathryn Bentley Watson
41VANGUARD V ISION
As of January 2014
and for the next five
years, Vance-Granville
Community College is
“Living the Vision.”
The Vision is a strategic
plan developed with input
from Vance-Granville’s
students, employees and
the broader community
served by the college.
Shortly after taking the
reins as VGCC’s president
in 2012, Dr. Stelfanie
Williams pulled together
a team of college faculty
and staff to develop
the framework for a
strategic plan to carry the
college through its 50th
anniversary in 2019.
The results were the
Mission Statement and
Vision Statement that
guide the college in its
focus and activities as well
as nine core Values and 20
specific Goals built around
five overarching areas of
focus.
The college’s Board of
Trustees officially adopted
the Vanguard Vision
on June 15, 2013, and
implementation of the
strategic plan began in
January 2014.
•
THE COLLEGE’S
STRATEGIC PLAN
FOR 2014-2019
V O UR M ISSION
Vance-Granville
Community College
educates, inspires, and supports
a diverse community of learners
to achieve professional
and personal success.
O UR V ISION
In partnership
with our community,
Vance-Granville
Community College will lead
the economic development
of our region,
be nationally-recognized
for educational excellence, and
improve our world
through stewardship
and sustainability.
ISION
O URG OALS
EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE
FROM ACCESS TO SUCCESS
1.1 Increase student achievement through student-centered teaching.
1.2 Increase student completion through effective academic advising.
1.3 Facilitate college growth.
1.4 Cultivate a college-wide culture of support for a diverse communi-ty
of learners.
1.5 Provide resources and experiences to empower students and pre-pare
them for work or higher education.
AN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
OF QUALITY, COOPERATION & ENGAGEMENT
2.1 Recruit and hire exceptional employees.
2.2 Retain qualified employees.
2.3 Foster participation in meaningful professional development
opportunities.
2.4 Enhance open communication.
2.5 Develop a campus community valuing health, safety, and quality
of life opportunities.
A LEARNING COMMUNITY
OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
3.1 Develop a culture that prioritizes individualized service to stu-dents.
3.2 Develop a culture of continuous quality improvement and best
practices.
3.3 Institute leadership development that supports and empowers all
employees.
ONE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE
4.1 Enhance support services.
4.2 Foster student and employee engagement in college life.
4.3 Partner with community organizations to support the college
mission.
4.4 Improve, maintain, and utilize adequate technology.
INSTITUTIONAL STEWARDSHIP: SECURING
AND SUSTAINING OUR RESOURCES
5.1 Secure new and innovative resources to support institutional goals.
5.2 Implement risk assessment and management at the college.
5.3 Advance environmentally-friendly practices at the college.
O URV ALUES
EXCELLENCE
We value working to our full potential and
demonstrating quality at all levels by meeting
or exceeding our goals and establishing high
expectations for achievement by everyone
through continuous improvement.
TEACHING
We value rigorous, quality instruction
that maximizes student success through
focused and purposeful student support and
activities.
COMMUNICATION
We value decision making through broad-based,
respectful team work and effective
dialogue.
RESPECT
We value professional working relationships
and exceptional service for our faculty, staff,
students, and community.
ACCESS
We value keeping our services accessible to
our communities through a welcoming and
supportive environment for all.
DIVERSITY
We value the unique attributes and
contributions of the members who enrich
our college and its community.
INNOVATION
We value innovation and creativity through
our leadership in learning, technology, and
community partnerships.
COMMUNITY
We value positive and supportive
relationships among the faculty, staff,
students, and community of our service area.
SUSTAINABILITY
We value prudent stewardship of our
resources and implementation of best
practices in policies and operations that
are ecologically, socially, and economically
sustainable.
•
1
2
3
4
5
“Change, growth and improvement are essential as we realize
this new Vanguard Vision. In charting this course for the next five
years, we will continue to engage our college community and our
broader four-county service area as we shape a brighter and more
dynamic future for our beloved community college.”
­—
DR. STELFANIE WILLIAMS, VGCC President
LIKE US!
facebook.com
/vancegranville
FOLLOW US!
twitter.com
/vancegranville
WATCH US!
youtube.com
/vancegranvillecc
VIEW PICS!
instagram.com
/vancegranvillecc
DOWNLOAD!
flickr.com
/vancegranvillecc
Educating. Inspiring. Supporting.
Main Campus South Campus
200 Community College Road 1547 S. Campus Drive
P.O. Box 917 P.O. Box 39
Henderson NC 27536 Creedmoor NC 27522
(252) 492-2061 (919) 528-4737
Franklin Campus Warren Campus 8100 NC 56 Highway 210 West Ridgeway Street
P.O. Box 777 P.O. Box 207
Louisburg NC 27549 Warrenton NC 27589
(919) 496-1567 (252) 257-1900
www.VGCC.edu • studentsuccess@vgcc.edu
VGCC’s website — www.vgcc.edu — is optimized for smartphones and tablets.
VANCE-G RANVILLE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
DOWNLOAD
OUR APP
Vance-Granville Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees. Contact
the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Vance-Granville
Community College. Vance-Granville Community College is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The college serves all students regardless of race,
creed, color, age, sex, national or disabling conditions. Vance-Granville Community College is a Tobacco-Free College.